Haryana plans a new highway

The Haryana government has decided to construct a 156km-long north-south corridor in Haryana to connect states on its south, including Rajasthan, Gujarat and Maharashtra, with those on its north such as Punjab, HP and J&K to decongest Delhi. The four-lane corridor would start from Kotputli in Rajasthan after taking off from Delhi-Jaipur NH-8 and terminate at Rohtak in Haryana connecting Delhi Fazilka National Highway No 10, Haryana PWD minister Randeep Surjewala said. The proposed highway would be the biggest road project to be undertaken by Haryana since its inception 44 years back on November 1, 1966, Surjewala added. The project to be constructed at a cost of Rs 1201.70 crore would be undertaken on a DBFOT (Design, Build, Finance, Operate, Transfer) pattern. Union planning commission has approved this project and has agreed to give 20% of total project cost as viability gap funding that is Rs 240.34 crore. The project has a total length of 156km starting from Rai Malikpur (Rajasthan Border) — Narnaul-Mahendergarh-Dadri-Bhiwani-Kharak. The entire process of allotment of the project — involving construction of a fourlaned road with a divider, which shall vary from 1.5 metres and 3 metres — to successful bidder is likely to be completed by mid-2011, after which construction is scheduled to be completed in 30 months.