Despite the long-drawn election process, India constructed 2,534 km of highways in the April-July period of the current fiscal. In the corresponding period last year, the 2670-km network was built.
Because of the Model Code of Conduct during the election process the pace of awarding new highways suffered during the period. Another reason for slowdown in awarding is the pause on initiating new projects under Bharatmala Pariyojana.
Around 563 km of new highways were awarded in the April-June of this year as against 1125 km in the same period of 2023. In April-July of 2022 the awarding figure stood at 1975 km.
As the highway construction pace fell, the capital expenditure of the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH) dropped to Rs 929.6 billion in the first fourth of the financial year from Rs 1.01 trillion last FY. Total capital expenditure target for the minister has been fixed at Rs 2.72 trillion.
The government has set a provisional target of constructing 10,421 km of national highways this financial year, which is 15% lower than last year’s achievement.