In a report by Hindustan Times, it stated that the Modi Government is planning to dedicate Rs 1.5 lakh crore to infrastructure projects in the country by next year. The NDA government plans to present infrastructure sector as the biggest achievement ahead of next general elections in 2019.
The Minister of Road Transport and Highways has planned to inaugurate 50 high investment projects and highly strategic connectivity projects by next year. An official from the ministry said, that they have drawn up a list of 416 ongoing projects worth Rs 3.26 lakh crores that are being implemented by the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) and are in various stages of completion. A large number of projects getting commissioned will have a significant impact on the country’s economy and boost its employment. The infrastructure sector has seen a turnaround in last 4 years and has generated a lot of benefits.
The state which has benefited most from these projects is Maharastra, with an investment of Rs 38,029 crores for 52 ongoing projects. Uttar Pradesh follows with 45 projects worth Rs 37,926 crore, projects in Rajasthan worth Rs 21,292 crore, 27 projects in Gujarat worth Rs 24,928 crore and 26 projects in Madhya Pradesh worth Rs 16,245 crore.
The Ministry official said that most of the works are in the final stage of development and more than 200 projects would be dedicated to the nation by March 2019. He also said that they are fast-tracking the remaining projects.
The country’s infrastructure sector before 2014 was plagued by various problems like Land acquisition, regulatory overreach, policy paralysis, etc. Since the coming of Narendra Modi government, there has been a tremendous change in the implementation of critical infrastructure projects. The NDA government has made road construction a priority sector. The government has set an ambitious target of building 45km/day, up from 9km/day.
The government has invested in flagship connectivity schemes like ‘Bharatmala’ projects, which includes the development of highways running through economic corridors, border and coastal areas and expressways. The government has set a deadline of 2022 for this project, which connects 24,800 km and generates jobs and huge demand for essential raw materials like cement, steel and refinery products.
The government has also invested in ‘Sagarmala’ project for giving a fillip to country’s sea trade by developing coastal economic zones. Infrastructure has been a priority for the present government, as they have plans of investing more than Rs5.97 trillion in creating and upgrading infrastructure.
The North-east has been a top priority for the Modi government, as huge investments have been made in the region. Last year, the Prime Minister had inaugurated the longest river bridge of 9 km on the Brahmaputra. The Indian Railways have plans to connect all the capitals in the North-east and has decided to invest 40000 crores in the region. It is to be noted that North East is extremely important in terms of India’s strategic and economic ambitions, hence connectivity and development initiatives have increased allocation from the present government.
The success of the Indian Railways is not limited to the North-Eastern region, it has been successful in connecting areas hitherto untouched areas due to security reasons. The Railways has developed railway infrastructure in Maoist affected areas of the Dantewada region of Chattisgarh. This is augmented by the central government’s outlay of Rs. 11,000 crore for road connectivity in 44 Maoists affected districts.
