India News

83000-km worth highway projects, including Bharatmala, get Cabinet nod

Published

9 years ago

October 24, 2017

83000-km worth highway projects, including Bharatmala, get Cabinet nod

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]The Union Cabinet approved highway projects worth around Rs 7 trillion on Tuesday, Bharatmala project finally approved

In a move that paves the way for a major boost to India’s surface transport infrastructure, the Union Cabinet headed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, on Tuesday, approved a slew of highway projects, including the ambitious over 20000-km-long Bharatmala.

The projects are collectively are pegged at an estimated cost of a staggering Rs7 trillion. These highway projects are to be executed within the next five years.

Aimed at pushing economic activity and generating at least 32 crore man days across the country in the next five years, this biggest ever highway development plan to be approved by the Modi Cabinet hopes to develop and expand approximately 83,000 km of roads at an investment of Rs 6.9 lakh crore (Rs 7 trillion) by 2022. The Bharatmala highway project alone is estimated to cover a vast network of 28,400 km – connecting border areas of the country.

The focus of the plan is to improve speed of traffic flow on key corridors by providing uniform four-lane roads between two identified points. Most of these corridors will be shorter and access-controlled for faster movement of cargo vehicles.

“The new highway development programme is both building roads and improving mobility to reduce logistic cost. Better road network and rolling out of smart-tag based tolling will transform the road transport sector”, a report in the Times of India said quoting an official privy to the Cabinet’s decision.

The development comes barely few months after Union minister for surface transport Nitin Gadkari declared that the central government will soon launch the first phase of the Bharatmala project. The Cabinet’s approval can also be seen as a personal victory for Gadkari, whose performance as the Union transport minister has been applauded within the BJP circles – and also by the Prime Minister – primarily because he has managed to carry out his mandate of developing India’s roads and highway infrastructure without attracting any controversies or being embroiled in scams. It was largely due to this performance record that Gadkari was tipped for a promotion as the Union railway minister in September this year – an offer he reportedly declined because he didn’t want any additional responsibilities.

Given that the Cabinet’s approval for the mega-infrastructure plan comes close on the heels of the high-stakes Assembly polls in Gujarat and Himachal Pradesh – both states where the Congress and BJP are in a direct contest – it is expected that Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his party will use the decision as an example of their commitment to development.

The Bharatmala project – a pet plan of the BJP government – is the second largest highways project after National Highways Development Project (NHDP) that saw development of about 50,000km. Detailed project reports of the Bharatmala project have been in the process of finalisation for over two years now.

News agency PTI quoted an official privy to the decision to outline that the Cabinet’s decision also includes economic corridor developments aimed at faster movement of cargo. The government had earlier planned to develop economic corridors with a length of about 21,000km besides 14,000km of feeder routes.

The corridors included Mumbai-Cochin-Kanyakumari, Bengaluru-Mangaluru, Hyderabad-Panaji and Sambalpur-Ranchi, to name a few. A study under the proposed Bharatmala project by global consultancy firm AT Kearney had identified 44 economic corridors. The Prime Minister’s Office, earlier this year, had asked for Public Investment Board’s (PIB) clearance to the first phase of the project.

With the Indian economy still reeling under slow growth and investor sentiment being severely dented in the aftermath of demonetisation and the rollout of the Goods and Services Tax regime, it is expected that 70 per cent of the sanctioned highway projects will be implemented through government funding. According to a report in the Times of India: “about one-third of the investment will come from fuel cess, over one-fourth from market borrowing and the rest from budgetary support, private investment and auctioning of completed highways.”

National Highways Authority of India(NHAI) has already prepared detailed project reports (DPRs) for about 10,000 km of the identified network, which will help faster roll out of projects.

What, however, remains unclear at the moment is how the Modi government plans to ensure that land acquisition for this mammoth and ambitious mega-project will be executed without attracted protests and controversies.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]

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LPU students protest over reported rape allegation, police call it rumour

Students at Lovely Professional University protested over a reported rape allegation involving a worker, with police describing the claim as a rumour.

Published

8 hours ago

September 27, 2026

APNLive Desk

Students of Lovely Professional University (LPU) in Punjab staged a protest after an allegation involving the reported rape of a student by a worker at the university surfaced.

The protest led to disruption around the university, with students taking to the streets and blocking the Jalandhar-Phagwara National Highway, according to the report.

The allegation triggered anger among students, who demanded action over the reported incident.

Police describe rape claim as rumour

Police, however, described the rape claim as a rumour, indicating that the allegation had not been established as a confirmed incident.

The distinction is important because the reported sexual assault allegation should not be treated as a confirmed rape unless investigators or other authoritative sources establish that fact.

The protests nevertheless continued as students sought clarity and action over the issue.

Protest disrupts traffic

The student demonstration also affected traffic on the Jalandhar-Phagwara National Highway. The protest brought attention to the allegations and the concerns being raised by students at the university.

With police calling the claim a rumour, further verification and investigation would be necessary to establish what actually happened.

India News

INDIA bloc likely to meet on September 30 over Gyanesh Kumar row

INDIA bloc parties are likely to meet in New Delhi on September 30 amid growing opposition to Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar and the Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls.

Published

20 hours ago

September 26, 2026

APNLive Desk

Opposition parties belonging to the INDIA bloc are set to meet in New Delhi on September 30 to discuss concerns surrounding the Election Commission, the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls and a proposed removal motion against Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar.

The proposed meeting comes amid growing coordination among opposition parties over the functioning of the poll panel and demands for action against Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar. The parties are also discussing a possible joint response to the developments.

Why is the INDIA bloc meeting being planned?

The INDIA bloc meeting on September 30 comes amid reports of objections within the Election Commission over certain decisions and orders related to the SIR exercise.

According to the report, Opposition leaders have been discussing a coordinated response to their concerns over the Election Commission and the electoral-roll revision process.

The issue is also expected to be discussed at the Congress Working Committee meeting scheduled for September 29, a day before the proposed INDIA bloc meeting.

Gyanesh Kumar removal demand in focus

The demand for the removal of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar has become a major point of contention between the Opposition and the Election Commission.

The CPI(M), CPI and CPI(ML)-Liberation have demanded Kumar’s removal and an immediate halt to the SIR exercise. Congress has also intensified its criticism of the CEC.

Opposition parties are also working on a fresh removal motion against Gyanesh Kumar. The September 30 meeting is expected to finalise the strategy for the motion, including the collection of signatures. According to the report, this would be the Opposition’s third such attempt.

What is the SIR controversy?

The political dispute is linked to the Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls, or SIR.

The controversy intensified following a report that Election Commissioners Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi had recorded objections on several occasions concerning decisions and orders related to the SIR process.

The Election Commission has said that differing views and observations are part of normal deliberations in a multi-member constitutional body. The poll panel has also maintained that its orders have legal sanction and follow statutory procedures, while stating that the final decisions on the SIR were taken unanimously.

TMC and Left parties coordinate over the issue

The developments have also brought the Trinamool Congress and the CPI(M) together on the Election Commission issue, despite their political differences in West Bengal.

CPI(M) general secretary M A Baby proposed an immediate meeting to discuss a joint strategy. According to the report, Mamata Banerjee spoke with M A Baby and Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi, after which the leaders settled on September 30 for the meeting.

What could be discussed at the September 30 meeting?

The proposed meeting is expected to focus on:

Concerns surrounding the Election Commission
The Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls
Opposition demands concerning CEC Gyanesh Kumar
A possible fresh removal notice against the CEC
A coordinated response by INDIA bloc parties

The exact agenda and participation will depend on the discussions among the opposition parties before the proposed meeting.

India News

“Will die but won’t give up”: Sahil Wakode’s parents urge IIT students to continue fight

Sahil Wakode’s parents have appealed to IIT Bombay students to continue their fight for justice amid the ongoing investigation into their son’s death.

Published

21 hours ago

September 26, 2026

APNLive Desk

The parents of IIT Bombay student Sahil Wakode have appealed to students to continue raising their voices and fighting for justice following their son’s death.

Sahil Wakode, a second-year student at IIT Bombay, died in his hostel room on September 18. His death has led to student protests and an ongoing investigation by the Mumbai Crime Branch.

What Sahil Wakode’s parents have alleged

Sahil’s parents have alleged that their son faced caste-based discrimination and harassment at IIT Bombay before his death. They have sought action against those they hold responsible and have demanded a thorough investigation into the circumstances surrounding his death.

The family has also called for a CBI inquiry and has sought the arrest of officials named in the case. These remain allegations and are part of the ongoing investigation.

The Mumbai Crime Branch took over the probe after an FIR was registered following the complaint by Sahil’s parents.

IIT Bombay’s position

IIT Bombay has said that Sahil was allegedly caught using a mobile phone during a mid-semester examination and had uploaded the question paper to ChatGPT to seek answers.

The institute has maintained that no disciplinary action had been initiated against him. It said the matter had been discussed with him by the instructor and the Head of the Department, who counselled him and assured him that the incident would not adversely affect his academic career.

The circumstances surrounding Sahil’s death are being investigated by the appropriate authorities.

Investigation continues

The case remains under investigation, with the Mumbai Crime Branch examining the circumstances surrounding Sahil’s death and the allegations made by his family.

His parents have continued to demand justice and action against those they believe were responsible, while the investigation is expected to establish the facts surrounding the case.