Govt reworks highway targets for FY24

The government is reworking its highway-building target for the current year as it looks to fast track infrastructure in a year of multiple state polls, ahead of general elections next year.

- Subhash Narayan

It may now peg the target for highway construction for FY24 at over 14,000 km, the most built in a year, from a modest 12,500 km target kept at the beginning of the year. To be sure, it has failed to meet road targets in the previous two years.

A fresh target is being worked out after a nudge from the minister of road transport and highways Nitin Gadkari who has all told all construction agencies to fast-track work in line with the growing need for better and faster connectivity.

Mint had earlier reported that the government is looking to raise construction of highways this year to take it to an all-time high.

“The pace of construction of highways has gone up from 11.6 km a day in 2014 to around 30 km a day now. We are trying to increase it further," Gadkari said at a press conference to mark nine years of the Narendra Modi government.