Lok Sabha Question No. 71 (STARRED), answered on 2019-11-21
Subject: Widening of Highways
Ministry: ROAD TRANSPORT AND HIGHWAYS
Asked by: Omprakash Bhupalsinh alias Pawan Rajenimbalkar

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF ROAD TRANSPORT AND HIGHWAYS

## LOK SABHA STARRED QUESTION NO. 71

ANSWERED ON 21 st  November, 2019

## WIDENING OF HIGHWAYS

## †*71. SHRI OMPRAKASH BHUPALSINH ALIAS PAWAN RAJENIMBALKAR:

## Will the Minister of ROAD TRANSPORT AND HIGHWAYS

## सड़क परिवहन औि िाजमार्ग मंत्री

be pleased to state:

- ( a) whether the Government is implementing a plan of converting the existing State Highways into National Highways to connect major cities for improving traffic in the country;
- (b) if so, whether the public representative has requested/asked his Ministry on 4 July, 2019 to complete the widening works of Tembhurni-Latur Highway (Maharashtra);
- (c) if so, the details thereof and the manner and details of action taken/being taken thereon;
- (d) whether the Director General (Road Development) had been instructed on 12 July, 2019 in respect of the said request and if so, the action taken in this regard; and
- (e) whether instances of road accidents on the existing Tembhurni -Latur Highway (Maharashtra) are  rising  due  to  increase  in  the  number of vehicles and if so, the time  by  which the work of widening of said road is likely to be completed?

## ANSWER

## THE MINISTER OF ROAD TRANSPORT AND HIGHWAYS

## (SHRI NITIN JAIRAM GADKARI)

(a) to (e) A statement is laid on the Table of the House.

STATEMENT REFERRED  TO  IN  REPLY  TO  PARTS  (a)  TO  (e)  OF  LOK  SABHA STARRED QUESTION NO. 71 ANSWERED ON 21.11.2019 ASKED BY SHRI OMPRAKASH BHUPALSINH ALIAS PAWAN RAJENIMBALKAR REGARDING WIDENING OF HIGHWAYS

( a) The  Ministry  considers  declaration  of  some  State  Roads,  including  State  Highways (SHs),  as  National  Highways  (NHs)  from  time  to  time  depending  upon  requirement  of connectivity, inter-se-priorities, traffic density and available resources.

The  total  length  of  NHs  has  been  increased  from  about  91,287  km  in  April  2016  to 1,32,500 km at present.

The Ministry had taken up detailed review of NHs network with a view to develop the road connectivity to Border areas, development of Coastal roads including road connectivity for Non-Major  ports,  improvement  in  the  efficiency  of  National  Corridors,  development  of Economic Corridors, Inter Corridors and Feeder Routes along with integration with Sagarmala, etc.,  under  'Bharatmala  Pariyojana'.  The  Cabinet  Committee  on  Economic  Affairs  (CCEA) approved the proposal for investment approval for Phase-I of 'Bharatmala Pariyojana' during its meeting held on 24.10.2017.

(b) to (e) Request was received for development of the Tembhurni - Latur road to 2-lane / 4-lane NHs standards. The stretch of State road was notified as NHs in January 2017.

Development  and  maintenance  of  NHs  is  a  continuous  process.  Works  on  NHs  are accordingly taken up as per inter-se-priority, traffic density and available resources to keep the NHs in traffic worthy condition.

Tembhurni  -  Dhotre  (near  Barshi)  section  of  NH-548  C  [Tembhurni  -  Kurudwari  Barshi upto junction with NH-63] of about 73 km length has not been transferred by the State Government of Maharashtra to the Ministry as it was under award by the State Government as a Design, Build, Finance, Operate, and Transfer (DBFOT) project. The Concessionaire filed a writ petition in the Hon'ble High Court of Bombay and the matter is sub-judice. The responsibility of maintaining and developing this section presently lies with the State Government of Maharashtra.

Initial  14  km  section  from  Barshi  to  Ramling  of    Dhotre  (Barshi)  -  Latur  section  of NH-63 was not transferred to the Ministry owing to the Court case mentioned above. Remaining section from Ramling to Latur section of about 82 km length has been transferred to the Ministry by the State Government. The status of the road / Projects on the same are as follows:-

|   Sr. No. | Name of section / chainage                    |   Length [km] | Last work done / proposed   | Date of completion   | Remarks                |
|-----------|-----------------------------------------------|---------------|-----------------------------|----------------------|------------------------|
|         1 | Ramling (Yedshi) - Jawlapati [Km 14/0 - 22/0] |             8 | Periodical Renewal (PR)     | 14-11-18             | Road in good condition |
|         2 | Yedshi - Dhuki - Murud                        |            37 | Proposed strengthening      |                      | Project under bidding. |

| Sr. No.   | Name of section / chainage                          | Length [km]   | Last work done / proposed    | Date of completion   | Remarks                                    |
|-----------|-----------------------------------------------------|---------------|------------------------------|----------------------|--------------------------------------------|
|           | [Km 22/0 - 59/0]                                    |               | work.                        |                      |                                            |
| 3.        | Karkata - Latur Mahila polytechnic [Km 59/0 - 70/0] | 11            | PR                           | 14-11-18             | Road in good condition                     |
| 4.        | Karkata - Latur Mahila polytechnic [Km 70/0 - 87/0] | 17            | Work done by State Govt.     |                      | Road under Defects Liability Period (DLP). |
| 5.        | Latur city portion [Km 87/0 - 96/0                  | 9             | Proposed strengthening work. |                      | Project under bidding.                     |

The  Ministry  has  not  received  any  report  regarding  increase  in  instances  of  accidents  in  the Ramling - Latur section of NH-63 of about 82 km length.

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