The Highways Ministry may not have much to show in terms of new projects awarded in fiscal 2012-13, but it is set to flaunt national highway construction target of 2,800 km during the year.

This is a new high for the United Progressive Alliance-2 regime of four years, though it is far from the 20-km-a-day highway building target set by Prime Minister a few years ago.

This was possible because since fiscal 2009-10, the project award pipeline has been rising every year till 2012-13, when it dipped. Roads typically take about two-three years to build from the award date.

In 2012, due to the lower number of highway contract awarded, Highway Minister C.P. Joshi had maintained that the Ministry will focus on maximising construction work during the year.

Altogether, the Ministry has constructed close to 5,800 km of roads in fiscal 2013, which include 2,800 km of highways and roads with lower quality parameters, which is again the highest in the last four years.

About 3,000 km roads were constructed through different geographically targeted programmes of the Ministry such as Special Accelerated Road Development Programme – North East and areas affected by Maoist unrest, said sources from the Ministry.

>mamuni.das@thehindu.co.in

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