Centre may apply for ADB loan for C’garh road connectivity

The Central Government is planning to apply for a loan from the Asian Development Bank (ADB) for the Chhattisgarh Road Connectivity Project , official sources informed.

The project will improve road connectivity in the state of Chhattisgarh by rehabilitating and upgrading state highways and major district roads (MDRs) with an aggregate length of about 900 km. The project will also include enhancements on road maintenance, road safety, and innovations. A project implementation unit, established under the State PWD will implement the project.

Notably, PWD Minister Rajesh Munat last year had stated that 856 kms of road construction work funded by ADB is currently underway in Chhattisgarh.

The Government has also developed 936 kms of roads worth Rs 700 crore with the  amount provided by ADB between the year 2008 to 2011, he said.

Munat was speaking at the inaugural function of the five-day training programme conducted under the aegis of Asian Development Bank (ADB) here.

During the programme, the Minister had stated that selecting Chhattisgarh for ADB training session is a matter of pride and honour for the State.

Munat told that Chhattisgarh is leaping towards new direction and making history for overall infrastructural development of the State which includes constructing national highways and execution of several development projects while keeping attention towards social security and environmental conservation.

As Chhattisgarh region is covered with 44 percent of forest areas, it is our top priority to implement every project balanced with environmental conservation,

Munat said, adding that State government has also made arrangements for plantation after cutting of trees during execution of infrastructural development projects.

Also, the Government has been providing livelihood and shelter to the project affected, he said.

The Chhattisgarh Government has set 2018 deadline to complete construction of an additional 3,000 kms of road network with an investment of USD 2.34 billion.

This is based on the basis of an Annuity/BOT/Loan from the ADB, official sources informed.

Notably, ADB had also been helping Chhattisgarh government upgrade about 916 kilometers of roads in the State.

The works include development of new road sections, two laning work, constructing and strengthening culverts and bridges, officials stated.

Notably, new stretches of rural roads are rapidly coming up in Chhattisgarh with massive funding support from ADB, officials stated.

The ADB has provided lending support to Chhattisgarh for projects undertaken under PMGSY.

The international funding agency had been helping to either construct or upgrade 31,000 kms of rural roads in the states of Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradsh, Odisha, West Bengal and Assam nationally, officials stated.

Notably, the Union Ministry of Road Transport and  Highways allocated Rs 1533.68 crores to Chhattisgarh for development of national highways during the last financial year, the Central Government has informed.

A total of Rs 895.63 crore had already been spent so far for development of national highways in the State, it informed.

During the financial year 2016-17, a total of Rs 359.94 crore was allocated out of which 339.80 crore was spent for the development of national highways in Chhattisgarh.

It may be recalled that Chhattisgarh had been already inviting private investors to set up manufacturing clusters for taking advantage of five sea ports within its 600 km reach from the State.

With five ports Paradip and Dhamra in Odisha, Visakhapatnam, Kakinada and Machillipatnam in Andhra Pradesh, the opportunity of setting up of manufacturing clusters in Chhattisgarh is immense, officials informed.

Notably, a mega Multi-Modal Logistic Park (MMLP) is currently under construction spread in an area of 103 acres with an investment of Rs 207 crore in Chhattisgarh’s new capital-- Naya Raipur, officials informed.

Notably, the MMLPs in Telangana, Odisha, Chhattisgarh, and Uttarakhand are being developed by Central public sector undertaking  Container Corporation of India Ltd (CONCOR).

As part of the National Perspective Plan, prepared under the Sagarmala Programme of the Union Ministry of Shipping, a total of seven MMLPs were proposed in Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Rajasthan, Odisha, Telangana, Uttarakhand and West Bengal.

The potential sites were identified based on comprehensive study of the container cargo movement across the country and are located in the proximity of important industrial clusters.

This will be advantageous for the transportation of containerized cargo, officials informed.

Taking this forward, CONCOR officials have informed that domestic operations have already commenced at 1 MMLP in Pantnagar (Uttarakhand) and MMLPs at 4 proposed locations - Nagulapally (Telangana), Siliguri (West Bengal), Naya Raipur (Chhattisgarh) and Jharsuguda (Odisha), which are under various development stages.