Centre sanctions 29 road projects worth ₹1,170 cr in Ladakh

New Delhi: The central government has sanctioned 29 road projects worth ₹1,170.16 crore in the union territory of Ladakh.

A statement from the Union ministry for road transport and highways on Friday said that the projects will encompass state highways, major roads, and other district roads.

The ministry has also allocated ₹181.71 crore for eight bridges under the Central Road and Infrastructure Fund (CRIF) scheme for FY 2023-24.

“Ladakh, the largest union territory in terms of area and the second least populous in India will witness improved connectivity to its remote villages through the approved initiatives. This enhancement is expected to stimulate economic activities, particularly in agriculture and tourism, contributing to the overall infrastructural development of Ladakh,” the statement quoted the minister for road transport and highways Nitin Gadkari as saying.

The CRIF scheme was introduced in Jammu and Kashmir in 2000-01 to develop and maintain national highways, state roads, rural roads, and railways under and over bridges, with resources being allocated under the scheme for construction and upgradation over the years.

In September, the minister had announced the upgrade and widening of the 230km-long Kargil-Zanskar road in the union territory, which forms part of the National Highway 301.

In a recent reply to Parliament, Gadkari had said that that under the 'Bharatmala Pariyojana' a total of ₹5.35 trillion has been approved for development of 34,800 km of national highway corridors. As on November 2023, projects of 26,418km have been awarded and 15,045km length have been completed.

A total of ₹4.10 trillion has been spent under Bharatmala Pariyojana up till October.

The government, however, faced flak after a report by the Comptroller and Auditor General showed cost overrun in the construction of the Dwarka Expressway under the project.

According to the report, the expressway, which spans 29.06km, is being built at the cost of ₹250.77 crore per km, against the estimated ₹18.2 crore per km that was sanctioned by the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA).

The ministry, however, has contested claims of cost overrun. 

Speaking at the Mint Sustainability Summit 2023 in August, the minister had said: “In the Bharatmala programme, there was no detailed estimated cost. It was written separately that the cost of ring roads and flyovers would be finalized after the DPR (detailed project report) is ready. In the case of Dwarka Expressway, for the first time, there have been multiple developments. There are tunnels, bridges and bridges over bridges. It is a state-of-the-art project. Despite that, our cost is ₹18.5 crore (per kilometre) only.”