Nitin Gadkari reviews progress of road and highway projects

Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari today reviewed the progress of the ongoing projects of his department in the country. He chaired a review meeting of the ongoing projects of the Ministry of Road Transport and National Highways Authority of India (NHAI). The NHAI functions under the ministry.The meeting will continue tomorrow also.

"In all, 427 projects are being undertaken by the NHAI, while the Ministry of Road Transport is working on 369 projects - each of them costing Rs 100 crore and above," said a statement issued by the Press Information Bureau (PIB).

The minister expressed unhappiness over the status of projects in Goa, it said.

Goa PWD Minister Sudin Dhavalikar,officers from the ministry and the NHA and representatives from states were presented at the meeting.

Out of the over 700 projects undertaken, 300 will be completed before March 2019, the statement quoted the ministry telling the meeting.

"The minister took step by step and project by project review of the ongoing projects," it said.

Gadkari gave directions to officers and contractors to complete the work on 27,000 km road and highway projects that were awarded before March 2015.

The statement said, "2018 has been declared the `construction year' by the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways."

Gadkari expressed unhappiness over the progress of ongoing works in Goa, the PIB said.