23 highways with around 3k-km notified as NHs in Raj

Jaipur: As many as 23 state highways, covering a length of 2,932 kms, have been notified as national highways (NHs) in Rajasthan since 2014-15, a ministry road transport and highways data stated. “The Nasirabad-Deoli (99 km SH-26) and Dausa-Dudu-Nagaur (SH-2) sections of state roads in Rajasthan have not been notified as NHs. Development and maintenance of these state roads are the responsibility of the state government of Rajasthan,” minister of road transport and highways Nitin Gadkari informed this while replying to a starred question in Lok Sabha on February 2.“State roads, including state highways (SHs), are declared as new National Highways (NHs) from time to time on the basis of well established principles and on receiving proposals from the state,” the reply stated.“The criteria for state roads for declaration as new NHs may include: roads running through length / breadth of the country; connecting adjacent countries, national capital with state capitals/ mutually the state capitals, major ports, non-major ports, large industrial centers or tourist centres; roads having important strategic requirement in hilly and isolated area,” it stated.“Arterial roads which enable sizeable reduction in travel distance and achieve substantial economic growth; roads which help in opening up large tracts of backward area and hilly region; roads contributing towards achievement of National Highways grid of 100 km; synergy with PM GatiShakti National Master Plan (NMP),” it added.