Bhopal: Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan has urged Union minister Nitin Gadkari to approve 26 road projects worth Rs 1,858 crore in the state and also requested him to consider developing a 'Narmada Expressway' from Amarkantak to the Gulf of Khambhat.
Chouhan and Gadkari met at the CM's official residence here on Sunday evening. "The chief minister has urged Gadkari to approve 26 road projects worth Rs 1,858 crore under the Central Road Fund Scheme," a public relations department official said.
Besides, Chouhan also requested the Minister for Road Transport and Highways to consider developing a 'Narmada Expressway', from the origin of the river Narmada in Amarkantak (MP) to the Gulf of Khambhat (Gujarat) with an industrial corridor on its both sides, the official said.
Gadkari informed on the occasion that under the Bharat Mala scheme, an action plan has been made to provide Rs 50,000 crore to MP for the development of national highways. The Union minister also urged the state government to get forest clearances and land acquisition works done on priority, the official said.
Chouhan said the world famous Khajuraho temple city in MP is being developed by the Union Tourism Ministry as an "iconic site". Therefore, it is necessary to develop a 10.15-km-long Banitha-Khajuraho national highway as a four-lane road for providing smooth connectivity to the world heritage site.
A proposal of Rs 71 crore for this is pending for approval with the central government and the CM urged Gadkari to give his ministry's nod as the earliest, the official said. Chouhan also suggested linking the Indore-Jabalpur road via Budhni to reduce the distance between the two cities.
