AMN / WEB DESK
Prime Minister Narendra Modi today inaugurated, the 246 km Delhi – Dausa – Lalsot section of the Delhi Mumbai Expressway on Sunday. He also laid the foundation stone for 247 kilometres of National Highway projects to be developed at a cost of more than 5,940 crore rupees. The Prime Minister’s emphasis on the building of excellent road infrastructure as an engine of growth, development and connectivity in New India is being realised by the construction of a number of ongoing world-class Expressways across the country.
Addressing the gathering, the Prime Minister expressed pride in dedicating the first phase of the Delhi-Mumbai Expressway to the nation. He underlined that this is one of the most advanced expressways in the world which presents a grand picture of developing India.
The Prime Minister said that when such modern roads, railway stations, railway tracks, Metro and airports are constructed, the country’s development gets momentum. He also highlighted the multiplier effect of the investment on infrastructure. In this year’s budget, the Prime Minister informed that there has been an allocation of 10 lakh crores rupees for infrastructure which is 5 times more than the allocation in 2014. He underlined that the poor and middle class from Rajasthan will greatly benefit from these investments. The Prime Minister underscored the benefits of investment in infrastructure on the economy and said that it creates employment and connectivity. He stated that when investments are made in highways, railways, ports, airports, optical fibers, digital connectivity, construction of pucca houses and colleges, every section of the society gets empowered.
Elaborating on another benefit of infrastructure, the Prime Minister said that economic activities are getting a boost. He said with the construction of the Delhi – Dausa – Lalsot highway, the travel time between Delhi and Jaipur will be reduced. He said that along the Expressway Grameen Haats are being established that will help the local farmers and artisans. He underlined that the Delhi-Mumbai Expressway will benefit Rajasthan along with many areas of Delhi, Haryana, Gujarat and Maharashtra.
Mr. Modi underlined that the Delhi-Mumbai Expressway and the Western Dedicated Freight Corridor are going to become two strong pillars of progress for Rajasthan and the country and will transform this entire region including Rajasthan in the times to come. He noted that these two projects will strengthen the Mumbai-Delhi Economic Corridor and the road and freight corridor will connect many regions of Rajasthan, Haryana and Western India with ports. He said that it will create new opportunities for logistics, storage, transport and other industries as well.
Union Minister for Road, Transport and Highways, Shri Nitin Gadkari, Union Minister for Jal Shakti, Gajendra Singh Shekhawat, Union Minister of State for Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare, Kailash Choudary, PWD Minister of Rajasthan Government, Bhajanlal Jatav and Members of Parliament were present on the occasion among others.
The 246 km Delhi – Dausa – Lalsot section of the Delhi Mumbai Expressway has been developed at a cost of more than Rs 12,150 crore. This operationalization of this section will reduce the travel time from Delhi to Jaipur from 5 hours to around 3.5 hours and provide a major boost to the economic development of the entire region.
Delhi Mumbai Expressway will be India’s longest expressway with a length of 1,386 km. It will reduce the travel distance between Delhi and Mumbai by 12% from 1,424 km to 1,242 Km and travel time will be reduced by 50% from 24 hrs to 12 hrs. It will pass through six states – Delhi, Haryana, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat and Maharashtra and connect major cities like Kota, Indore, Jaipur, Bhopal, Vadodara and Surat. The Expressway will also serve 93 PM Gati Shakti Economic Nodes, 13 Ports, 8 Major Airports and 8 multi-modal logistics parks (MMLPs) along with spurs to new upcoming greenfield airports such as Jewar Airport, Navi Mumbai Airport and JNPT port.