core sector communique

Consultative Committee Meeting of M/O Road Transport & Highways held

The 6th Consultative Committee meeting of the Ministry of Road Transport & Highways held here today under the chairmanship of Dr. C.P. Joshi , the Union Minister for Road Transport & Highways. The topic of the meeting was “Development of Roads (National Highways and State Roads) in Left Wing Extremism (LWE) affected areas”. Addressing on the occasion, Dr Joshi said that so far the Government has sanctioned the detailed estimates for 182 works covering a length of 4911 km at a cost of Rs 5984 crore in Left Wing Extremism (LWE) affected areas.Out of these, 127 works covering a length of 3354 km costing Rs 3871 crore have been awarded. He expected the sanction of the detailed estimates for entire length of 5477 km and award contract for a length of 4260 km during current financial year. The balance projects for 1057 km length are likely to be awarded by June,2011 so that these works are completed by March,2014.

He informed the members that his ministry has been assigned the task of developing roads in these areas in a planned and phased manner . The aim of the project is to expose talents and potentials of the people of tribal districts by providing a good communication network with other developed areas in the state as well as to the neighboring states. Further, the development of roads will provide an efficient communication network for the remote areas to combat the extremists, activities in the border tribal districts of the states as well as improve social upliftment of tribal people.

He thanked the members of the committee for their active participation and hoped to receive their suggestions for improvement in implementation of the roads in LWE affected areas.

The Ministers of State for Road Transport & Highways Shri Jatin Prasad and Shri Tusharbhai A. Chaudhary were present. The Secretary of the Ministry Shri R.S.Gujral and senior officers of the ministry were also present. The Members of Parliament who attended the meeting included : Sardar Sukhdev Singh Libra; Shri Kaushalendra Kumar; Smt. Bijoya Chakravarty; Shri Govind Prasad Mishra; Shri R. Sambasiva Rao (all Lok Sabha) and Shri K.B.Shanappa (Rajya Sabha).