New Delhi: The highways ministry has made elaborate plans to build roads in neglected areas and untouched zones in the next five years. These include roads in Naxal infested areas and tribal dominated zones. The ministry will spend at least Rs 16,000 crore during the 12th plan which will provide greater employment opportunity to locals during construction besides opening roads for economic activities in these areas.
In its document submitted to the Planning Commission, highways ministry has proposed to complete 4,426km in left-wing extremism (LWE) affected areas by 2015 with budgetary support of Rs 5,376 crore and another 8,014km would be completed by the end of the plan period. This second phase of road development in LWE affected areas is yet to be approved by the Centre.
Similarly, under the tribal sub plan (TSP), the ministry proposes to take up development of state roads in districts identified in Andhra Pradesh, Himachal Pradesh, Gujarat, Orissa, Rajasthan, Maharashtra, Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh and Jharkhand. The ministry proposes to take up development of about 1,000km roads to twolane standards in these districts with an investment of Rs 5,000 crore during the 12th plan period.
“These stretches have to be built with complete budgetary support since these are financially unviable for any private developer. Moreover, the focus of building these roads is to push equitable socio-economic development of these areas to bring these areas into national mainstream,” said a senior official.
The ministry is also pushing the plan to develop better road network along borders, which would be developed by the Border Road Organization (BRO), with a gross budgetary support of Rs 3,000 crore during the five-year period.

Times Nation, dt. 27th, January, 2012