MoRTH constructs a record 37 kilometres of highways each day in FY21

The hybrid annuity model is intended to kickstart stalled projects and accelerate highway construction. Photo: Mint
The hybrid annuity model is intended to kickstart stalled projects and accelerate highway construction. Photo: Mint
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 1 min read . Updated: 02 Apr 2021, 03:08 PM IST Rhik Kundu

The ministry of road transport and highways (MoRTH) has exceeded the target for highway construction for financial year 2021 despite the ongoing pandemic, it said in a statement.

MoRTH has constructed 13,505 km of national highways till 31 March 2021, clocking a construction of 37 kilometres per day.

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This is also more than the target (11,000 km) fixed for the current fiscal and about three times the rate of construction of highways of about 12 km per day in 2014-15.

"Over the last seven years, the length of national highways has gone up by 50% from 91,287 km (as of April 2014) to 137,625 km (as on 20 March 2021). Total budgetary outlay increased by 5.5 times, from Rs33,414 crore in financial year 2015 to Rs1,83,101 crore in financial year 2022," MoRTH said in a release.

While the average annual project award (annual average award length) during FY2015-FY2021 has increased by 85% compared with FY2010-FY2014, average annual construction (average annual construction length) during FY2015 to FY2021 has increased by 83% compared with FY2010 to FY2014, the release added.

This achievement is significant as the first few months of the current financial year were lost due to nationwide lockdown in the wake of covid-19 pandemic, the ministry said in the statement, and added that construction activities were badly affected during the period.

Union road transport and highways minister Nitin Gadkari had in March announced achieving the target of constructing 11,000 km of national highways, one month ahead of schedule.

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