A Game-Changer for India’s Infrastructure”
In 2017, the Central government introduced the ambitious Bharatmala Pariyojana. It is a highway development initiative aimed at enhancing connectivity across key economic corridors, border regions, and remote areas.
Overview of the project:
| Name of the yojana | Bharatmala Pariyojana |
| Year of inauguration | July 31, 2015 |
| What is it? | Second-largest highways construction project in India after National Highways Development Project |
| Ministry overseeing | Ministry of Road Transport and Highways |
| Phases | 2 |
| Estimated cost | Rs 5.35 lakh crore |
| Agencies responsible for implementation | National Highways Authority of India, National Highway and Industrial Development Corporation, state public works departments |
| Objectives of this project | · Establish 50 highway corridors across India. · Boost freight transport on national highways to 70%-80%. · Link approximately 550 districts with 4-lane highways or larger. |
| Status | Active |
Significant Highlights of the Bharatmala Project:
The Bharatmala project is the India’s second-largest highway construction initiative after the National Highways Development Project. The project is designed to enhance the movement of goods, boost international trade, and reduce logistics costs.
According to Road Transport Minister Nitin Gadkari, the project is expected to significantly lower logistics costs. It will potentially reduce supply chain expenses from 18% to 6%. It will positively impact exports and attract investments.
The initiative focuses on increasing the efficiency of freight and passenger transportation by addressing key infrastructure gaps. This includes developing economic corridors, inter-corridors, feeder routes, coastal and port roads, border roads, international connectivity routes, and new expressways. These developments are poised to streamline the nation’s transportation network.
Recent progress in this initiative
The Bharatmala Pariyojana projects will now be directly managed & resumed by the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways.
Upcoming projects with budgets under Rs. 1,000 Crore are set to be awarded in the coming months, according to a senior official. The government’s goal is to accelerate the awarding of road contracts which faced significant delays this fiscal year. It was largely due to the suspension of the Bharatmala initiative stemming from rising costs.
The ministry is actively inviting bids for some pending projects and is also preparing detailed project reports for others. Initially, in 2017, the government aimed to construct 34,800 km of highways under the Bharatmala scheme, with a projected budget of Rs. 6,92,324 crores. To date, however, only 27,391 km of highways have been approved and awarded under phase I, totalling a capital expenditure of Rs. 8,75,774 crores.
