Ranchi: Chief Minister Hemant Soren on Saturday said that construction of better roads will further accelerate development works in the state.
Speaking via online mode at the inauguration and foundation laying of 21 road projects in the state which will involve an investment of Rs 3550 crore he said that the day is a historic one as people are getting the gift of various road projects. He said that in Jharkhand minerals are transported via roads primarily therefore quality of roads is important.
The Chief Minister said that the centre during the year 2017-18 the centre allotted Rs 205 crore, Rs 169 crore in 2018-19, Rs 500 crore in 2019-20 and Rs 675 crore in 2020-21 for development of roads in the state. He said that the state was making rapid progress in the area of road construction and is working to submit more DPRs to the centre. He further pointed that the government was aware towards land acquisition and forest clearance and was working in coordination with NHAI for road construction.
The Chief Minister urged the Union Road Transport and Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari to speed up work under Bharatmala project on Raipur-Dhanbad-Sambhalpur-
Ranchi, Varanasi-Ranchi, Ranchi-Paradeep and Bahktiyarpur-Ormanjhi economic corridors alongwith construction of bridge over Ganga in Sahebganj. He demanded that Jharkhand be linked with Bengal, Odisha and Uttar Pradesh through a high speed corridor which will also help to develop Jharkhand as an industrial hub.
He said that the state government has given the task of construction of many important roads to NHAI therefore special focus should be given on backward state like Jharkhand during road construction.
He also advocated the need for building an elephant corridor and plantation of trees next to the roads. He said that in the state many elephant corridors have been identified and keeping the corridors in mind the roads should be constructed and also pointed for the need of developing under pass system for road construction work.