Panipat elevated highway inaugurated by Baalu

pat (Haryana), July 16 (ANIUnion Minister of Shipping Road Transport and Highways Thiru T. R. Baalu, along with Bhupinder Singh Hooda, Chief Minister of Haryana today inaugurated the ten kilometre long Panipat Elevated Highway on North-South corridor.

Panipat (Haryana), July 16 : Union Minister of Shipping Road Transport and Highways Thiru T. R. Baalu, along with Bhupinder Singh Hooda, Chief Minister of Haryana today inaugurated the ten kilometre long Panipat Elevated Highway on North-South corridor.

The elevated highway has been constructed with a view to ease acute congestion in the Panipat city on National Highway-1 (NH-1) between Delhi and Amritsar.

Baalu said that the Rs. 325 crore project has been completed six months ahead of schedule and it would bring relief to a large number of road users in Panipat and to the people proceeding to Punjab, Jammu and Kashmir and Himachal Pradesh who were earlier facing traffic jams on NH-1.

He also said that the project would lead to overall development of Panipat and the adjoining areas and boost the economy of this region.

The Transport Minister said that the elevated highway would lead to considerable savings in travel time and fuel costs.

"Travelling through this particular stretch on this National Highway would take only ten minutes which is much less than the present average travelling time of 45 minutes," Baalu said.

This new facility will be implemented on Built Operate and Transfer (BOT) basis with negative grant. The project facilities would be maintained by the concessionaire for 20 years period including construction period.

Baalu further said that the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) Government is committed to the rapid development of Haryana.

Baalu reiterated Government's resolve to attach the highest priority to the development and expansion of physical infrastructure, including roads and highways. He said that it is a matter of pride for us that while only 2,342 kilometres of National Highways had been completed from December 2000 to May 2004 at the rate of 1.86 kilometres per day, in the last four years, from May 2004 onwards, the UPA Government has completed 5,948 kilometres of National Highways at the rate of 3.96 kilometres per day.

The Minister also said that the amount spent under the National Highways Development Project (NHDP) has been increased from Rs.6, 093 crores by the previous regime to Rs.18, 066 crores by the UPA Government, representing an increase of over 196 per cent. he Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh had laid the foundation of this project in April 2006 and it was scheduled to be completed in January 2009.

K.H. Muniyappa, Minister of State in the Ministry of Shipping Road Transport and Highways and several ministers of the Government of Haryana were also present on the occasion.

ANI