Lok Sabha Question No. 4526 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2026-03-19
Subject: Conversion of State Highways to National Highways
Ministry: ROAD TRANSPORT AND HIGHWAYS
Asked by: Thiru Dr. S Jagathratchakan

## be pleased to state:

- (a) the total length of State highways  converted  to  national highways during the last five years, State-wise and year-wise;
- (b)  whether  the  Government  has  established  specific  criteria  for prioritizing  State  highways  for  conversion  into  national  highways and if so, the details thereof;
- (c)  the  budgetary  allocation  and  expenditure  incurred  on  such conversions  during  the  last  five  years  including  funds  provided under Centrally sponsored schemes;
- (d)  the  average  time  taken  for  the  approval  and  completion  of conversion projects and the key challenges encountered during the process; and
- (e) the impact  of such conversions on regional connectivity, economic growth and traffic  congestion  supported  by  any  data  or studies conducted in this regard?

## ANSWER

THE MINISTER OF ROAD TRANSPORT AND HIGHWAYS

(SHRI NITIN JAIRAM GADKARI)

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA

## MINISTRY OF ROAD TRANSPORT AND HIGHWAYS

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 4526 ANSWERED ON 19 TH  MARCH, 2026

CONVERSION OF STATE HIGHWAYS TO NATIONAL HIGHWAYS

4526.   THIRU DR. S JAGATHRATCHAKAN:

## Will the Minister of ROAD TRANSPORT AND HIGHWAYS

सड़क परिवहन औि िाजमार्ग मंत्री

- (a) State /  Union  Territory  (UT)  -  wise  and  year  -  wise  length  of State  Roads,  including  State  Highways  (SHs),  notified  as  National Highways (NHs) during the last five years are at Annexure.
- (b) State roads, including SHs, are declared as NHs from time to time on the basis of well-established broad principles, including: -
- i. Connecting adjacent countries, National Capital with State Capitals / one State Capital to another State Capital, major ports and ports prioritised for development by the Ministry of Ports, Shipping & Waterways, large industrial centers or tourist centers.
- ii. Roads having important strategic requirements.
- iii. Arterial  roads  which  enable  sizeable  reduction  in  travel distance and achieve substantial economic growth.
- iv. Roads which  help  in  opening  up  large  tracts  of  backward area and hilly region.
- v. Synergy with PM GatiShakti National Master Plan (NMP).
- (c) Details of budgetary allocation and expenditure incurred towards  development  and  maintenance  of  NHs,  including  newly notified NHs, during the last five years are as under: -
- (d) Development works on notified NHs are taken up based on the broad principles of declaration of NHs, requirement of connectivity, traffic  density  and  synergy  with  PM  Gati  Shakti  National  Master Plan. Time period of completion is generally 3-4 years after approval of the work.

| Amount in ₹ Crore   | Amount in ₹ Crore    | Amount in ₹ Crore     |
|---------------------|----------------------|-----------------------|
| Year                | Budgetary Allocation | Budgetary Expenditure |
| 2020-21             | 94,257               | 91,045                |
| 2021-22             | 123,537              | 115,321               |
| 2022-23             | 208,226              | 206,628               |
| 2023-24             | 266,552              | 266,299               |
| 2024-25             | 290,245              | 290,069               |

Key  challenges  faced  in  project  implementation  on  such notified  NHs  are  inadequate  Right  of  Way  (ROW),  encroachments, diversion  of  strip  forest  land  along  such  NHs,  existing  utility  for shifting,  requirement  of  Road  Over  Bridge  (ROB)  &  Road  Under Bridge (RUB) in lieu of existing level crossings etc.

- (e) NH network length in the country has increased from 132,995 km in March, 2020 to 1,46,566 km at present. Quality of NH network has improved substantially. National High Speed Corridors (HSCs) / Expressways in about 3,644 km length have been operationalized so far.  Length  of  4  lane  and  above  NH  network  has  increased  by  1.6 times from 33,851 km in 2020 to 49,160 km. Also, proportion of less than 2-lane NHs has decreased from 23% in 2020 to 9% of the total NH  network.  This  has  led  to  increased  logistics  efficiency  apart from  increased  connectivity  across  country  including  the  tribal, aspirational and other backward areas.

Further, based on the study by Indian Institute of Management, Bangalore on impact of development of National Highways projects (2014-2022) in the country, broad findings are as under: -

- i. Every one-rupee expenditure in National Highway development leads to a ₹ 3.2 increase in Gross Domestic Product (GDP);
- ii. The  time  taken  for  transportation  between  factories  and suppliers  has  decreased  by  9.19%  in  treatment  districts  vis-à-vis control districts;
- iii. The  time  taken  for  transportation  between  factories  and customers  has  decreased  by  4.93%  in  treatment  districts as compared to control districts;
- iv. The  time  to  access  schools  has  decreased  by  16.6%  in treatment districts vis-à-vis control districts;
- v. There  has  been  a  9%  reduction  in  time  to  access  health services in treatment districts as compared to control districts;

vi. The  average  time  to  reach  Mandis  decreased  by  7%  in treatment districts as compared to control districts; and vii. The average number of Mandis accessed increased by 8% in treatment districts as compared to control districts.

## ANNEXURE

ANNEXURE REFERRED TO IN REPLY TO PART (a) OF LOK SABHA UNSTARRED  QUESTION  NO. 4526 ANSWERED  ON  19.03.2026 ASKED BY THIRU DR. S JAGATHRATCHAKAN REGARDING CONVERSION OF STATE HIGHWAYS TO NATIONAL HIGHWAYS

State  /  Union  Territory  UT  -  wise  and  year  -  wise  length  of  State Roads, including SHs, notified as NHs during the last five years: -

|                                                                                                       |                                                                                                       |                                                                                                       |                                                                                                       |                                                                                                       | Length in Km                                                                                          | Length in Km                                                                                          |
|-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| Sr. No.                                                                                               | State / UT                                                                                            | 2020-21                                                                                               | 2021-22                                                                                               | 2022-23                                                                                               | 2023-24                                                                                               | 2024-25                                                                                               |
| 1                                                                                                     | Andhra Pradesh                                                                                        | 582                                                                                                   | 394                                                                                                   | 86                                                                                                    |                                                                                                       |                                                                                                       |
| 2                                                                                                     | Arunachal Pradesh                                                                                     |                                                                                                       |                                                                                                       | 855                                                                                                   | 82                                                                                                    |                                                                                                       |
| 3                                                                                                     | Assam                                                                                                 | 97                                                                                                    | 71                                                                                                    |                                                                                                       |                                                                                                       |                                                                                                       |
| 4                                                                                                     | Bihar                                                                                                 | 295                                                                                                   | 169                                                                                                   |                                                                                                       |                                                                                                       |                                                                                                       |
| 5                                                                                                     | Gujarat                                                                                               | 844                                                                                                   | 141                                                                                                   |                                                                                                       |                                                                                                       | 12                                                                                                    |
| 6                                                                                                     | Haryana                                                                                               | -65                                                                                                   |                                                                                                       | 34                                                                                                    |                                                                                                       | -47                                                                                                   |
| 7                                                                                                     | Jammu and Kashmir                                                                                     |                                                                                                       |                                                                                                       | 28                                                                                                    | 42                                                                                                    |                                                                                                       |
| 8                                                                                                     | Jharkhand                                                                                             |                                                                                                       | 37                                                                                                    |                                                                                                       |                                                                                                       |                                                                                                       |
| 9                                                                                                     | Karnataka                                                                                             |                                                                                                       | 49                                                                                                    | 55                                                                                                    |                                                                                                       |                                                                                                       |
| 10                                                                                                    | Madhya Pradesh                                                                                        | 10                                                                                                    | 121                                                                                                   | 93                                                                                                    |                                                                                                       | 71                                                                                                    |
| 11                                                                                                    | Maharashtra                                                                                           | 265                                                                                                   | 98                                                                                                    | 142                                                                                                   | -22                                                                                                   | -16                                                                                                   |
| 12                                                                                                    | Manipur                                                                                               | 90                                                                                                    |                                                                                                       |                                                                                                       |                                                                                                       |                                                                                                       |
| 13                                                                                                    | Mizoram                                                                                               |                                                                                                       |                                                                                                       | 45                                                                                                    |                                                                                                       |                                                                                                       |
| 14                                                                                                    | Nagaland                                                                                              |                                                                                                       | 123                                                                                                   |                                                                                                       |                                                                                                       |                                                                                                       |
| 15                                                                                                    | Punjab                                                                                                | 72                                                                                                    |                                                                                                       |                                                                                                       |                                                                                                       | 24                                                                                                    |
| 16                                                                                                    | Rajasthan                                                                                             |                                                                                                       |                                                                                                       | 143                                                                                                   |                                                                                                       |                                                                                                       |
| 17                                                                                                    | Sikkim                                                                                                | 246                                                                                                   |                                                                                                       |                                                                                                       |                                                                                                       |                                                                                                       |
| 18                                                                                                    | Tamil Nadu                                                                                            |                                                                                                       |                                                                                                       | 142                                                                                                   |                                                                                                       |                                                                                                       |
| 19                                                                                                    | Tripura                                                                                               |                                                                                                       |                                                                                                       | 35                                                                                                    |                                                                                                       |                                                                                                       |
| 20                                                                                                    | Telangana                                                                                             | 380                                                                                                   | 327                                                                                                   |                                                                                                       |                                                                                                       |                                                                                                       |
| 21                                                                                                    | Uttarakhand                                                                                           | 463                                                                                                   | 216                                                                                                   |                                                                                                       |                                                                                                       |                                                                                                       |
| 22                                                                                                    | Uttar Pradesh                                                                                         | 31                                                                                                    | 275                                                                                                   |                                                                                                       | -151                                                                                                  | -39                                                                                                   |
| 23                                                                                                    | West Bengal                                                                                           |                                                                                                       | 9                                                                                                     |                                                                                                       |                                                                                                       |                                                                                                       |
| Note: Negative figures on account of realignment / construction of bypasses / length de-notified etc. | Note: Negative figures on account of realignment / construction of bypasses / length de-notified etc. | Note: Negative figures on account of realignment / construction of bypasses / length de-notified etc. | Note: Negative figures on account of realignment / construction of bypasses / length de-notified etc. | Note: Negative figures on account of realignment / construction of bypasses / length de-notified etc. | Note: Negative figures on account of realignment / construction of bypasses / length de-notified etc. | Note: Negative figures on account of realignment / construction of bypasses / length de-notified etc. |

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