Current status of PM’s announcement for Gujarat in year 2005

Gandhinagar, 18 March 2013

Do you remember PM’s promise to develop Ahmedabad-Dandi heritage route? What is the current status of works in this regard?

Road and Building department Minister of Gujarat today shared some details on the progress of this project in Gujarat assembly:

The Prime Minister had made an announcement to develop Ahmedabad-Dandi highway as a Heritage route on 6 April 2005.

The task was handed over to National Highway Authority of India(NHAI) initially, but for some reasons they didn’t do anything.

Finally on 9 April 2008, the Dandi heritage route project was assigned to the state government. Following this the state government completed the first phase works at a cost of Rs 152.31 crore timely, the works were approved by the Government of India. The state government’s proposal for phase-2 works worth Rs 2000 crore was submitted to the Government of India in September 2009, but the proposal is yet not approved and pending.

In 28th June 2011 meeting of Government of India’s Secretary Committee, Dandi heritage route was separated, and an approvel was given to develop it as per the rules and guideline for National Highways. Following this, the Gujarat government sought approval of 17 works worth Rs 325 crore in year 2011-12 from centre. The government of India approved only one work worth Rs 7.561 crore by the end of March 2012.

In year 2012-13, six works worth Rs 85.53 crore were proposed before concerned ministry in centre. Of them, the government of India approved Rs 6.22 crore works by February 2013. A meeting with MoS was held on 4 May 2012 and a decision was made for special allocation to Dandi route works. Following this, the state government submitted plans of Rs 237 crore works with maps, but they were disapproved. Thus even after 8 years, Rs 2000 crore works of phase two are not approved.

State Minister attacks centre on several counts

-Bagodara-Bamanbor-Rajkot national highway 8A is important road connecting Saurashtra. The state government has sent a proposal for its six laning on BOT basis on 13 April 2010 to central government.

-A proposal for Bhavnagar-Trapaj 8E highway’s four laning on BOT basis has been sent on 4 March 2010 to the central government.

-Though Mumbai-Vadodara Express Highway was clearly mentioned in year 2006 budget speech of then Finance Minister, there has been too much delay in kick starting the work for this project.

-The works on Chiloda-Himmatnagar-Shamlaji stretch are not started yet.

-Works for Ahmedabad-Godhra(NH 59), Somnath-Jetpur( 8D) and Surat-Hazira (no.6) are going on in very slowly.