MoRTH to seek cabinet nod for townships, smart cities alongside highways

The Road Transport and Highways Ministry (MoRTH) will seek the Cabinet’s approval for allowing construction of smart cities, townships, logistic parks and industrial clusters along the national highways, Union minister Nitin Gadkari said on Friday.

Addressing a virtual event, Gadkari said his aim is to construct world-class highway networks and the road transport and highways ministry has chalked out a plan for monetising existing highways projects for infra capital generation.

“And now we have prepared a Cabinet note for approval ….for making roadside townships, smart cities, logistic parks, industrial clusters,” he said.

“We are making 400 roadside amenities,” Gadkari added.

He said the road transport and highways ministry is now submitting a scheme for the second phase of Bharatmala Pariyojana that is more than 65,000 km to 70,000 km, and resolution of claims worth ₹41,500 crore.