Union Budget 2022: National Highways Network To Be Expanded By 25,000km In 2022-23

At the ongoing Union Budget 2022, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman announced that under the PM Gati Shakti master plan, the Government of India will expand the National Highway (NH) network by 25,000km in 2022-23, with Rs. 20,000 crore allocated for achieving the same. The announcement comes in addition to the Centre's aim to hit 2 lakh km of national highways by 2025. Union Road Transport and Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari had earlier revealed the plan to increase the NH network by more than 25 percent in the next three years. At present, India has an NH network of more than 1.40 lakh km.

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PM Gati Shakti Master Plan for Expressways to be formulated in 2022-23, to facilitate faster movement of people and goods. NH network to be expanded by 25,000 km in 2022-23. Rs. 20,000 crores to be mobilized to complement public resources: FM Nirmala Sitharaman#Budget2022

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The PM Gati Shakti - National Master Plan For Multi-Modal Connectivity is essentially a digital platform to bring 16 Ministries including Railways and Roadways together for integrated planning and coordinated implementation of infrastructure connectivity projects. The multi-modal connectivity is said to provide integrated and seamless connectivity for the movement of people, goods, and services from one mode of transport to another. It will facilitate the last mile connectivity of infrastructure and reduce travel time for people.

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Earlier, the Indian government emphasised more on infrastructure development, as MoRTH minister Gadkari mentioned that India can hope of getting highways of American standards in the next three years and mentioned that 38km of roads are being constructed every day as compared to just two km each day in the past.