Nitin Gadkari's big push for Vaishno Devi pilgrims: Amritsar-Jamnagar Greenfield corridor, Delhi-Katra Expressway to be connected

Nitin Gadkari, Minister for Road Transport and Highways, on Monday inspected the Amritsar-Jamnagar Greenfield corridor and said the expressway will be connected to the Delhi-Katra Expressway near Sultanpur Lodhi in Kapurthala district in a bid to facilitate pilgrims from Rajasthan going to Vaishnav Devi Dham.

“The Amritsar - Jamnagar Greenfield corridor will be connected to the Delhi-Katra Expressway near Sultanpur Lodhi in Kapurthala district. With this, the journey of the people of Rajasthan from Delhi-Katra Expressway to Vaishno Devi Dham will be facilitated through this corridor,” Gadkari tweeted on Monday.

He added that the Expressway is set to cut travel time between the cities of Punjab and Gujarat by 10 hours. The 1,224-km long Amritsar-Bhatinda -Jamnagar Corridor is scheduled to connect the economic towns of Amritsar, Bhatinda, Sangaria, Bikaner, Sanchore, Samakhiyali and Jamnagar across the four states of Punjab, Haryana, Rajasthan and Gujarat.

The Union minister said that the work of the 917-km six-lane Economic Corridor in Rajasthan would be completed by October 2023. In Rajasthan, 93 per cent of 550 km of 637 kilometre six-lane economic corridor has been completed at a cost of Rs 15,000 crore. "We will soon request the Prime Minister and invite him to inaugurate the Rajasthan portion," he added.

Gadkari said that this is such a corridor, which will be connecting three refineries of the country, including Bhatinda Refinery of Punjab, Barmer Refinery of Rajasthan and Jamnagar Refinery of Gujarat. He said this would reduce the cost of petrol, diesel and gas.

Gadkari also added that by the end of 2024, the roads of Rajasthan would be like those in the United States, making it a happy and prosperous state.

The minister, while addressing a gathering at a foundation stone-laying programme at Pakka Sarna village in Hanumangarh district, said he often repeats the words of former US president John F Kennedy, who said, "America's roads are good not because America is rich. America is rich because of its good roads."

"I promise you that by the end of 2024, Rajasthan's roads will be made at par with those of America's. Due to these roads, Rajasthan will also become a happy and prosperous state," Gadkari said.

Gadkari also inaugurated and laid the foundation stones of six national highway projects and seven railway overbridges (ROBs) under the Setu Bandhan project with a total cost of Rs 2,050 crore.

(With agency inputs)

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