SRINAGAR: Jammu and Kashmir has 38 National Highway (NH) projects under construction, of which 25 have exceeded their original completion schedules, the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways informed the Rajya Sabha on Wednesday.
Replying to an unstarred question by Rajya Sabha MP Mahendra Bhatt, Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways Nitin Jairam Gadkari said that 1,191 National Highway projects are currently under construction across the country, excluding projects under consideration for termination or foreclosure.
The Minister informed the House that 629 out of these 1,191 projects have spilled beyond their original completion timelines.
According to the state and Union Territory-wise details placed before Parliament, Jammu and Kashmir has 38 ongoing NH projects, with 25 projects delayed beyond their scheduled completion dates.
In Ladakh, seven National Highway projects are under construction, of which five have exceeded their original completion schedules, the data showed.
Across India, Maharashtra has the highest number of ongoing NH projects at 118, including 60 delayed projects. It is followed by Karnataka with 77 ongoing projects, of which 47 are delayed; Uttar Pradesh with 87 projects, including 44 delayed; and Andhra Pradesh with 69 projects, including 42 delayed projects.
Other states with a high number of delayed projects include Bihar (35 delayed out of 67 ongoing projects), Madhya Pradesh (34 out of 65), Uttarakhand (31 out of 74), Telangana (29 out of 43), Assam (26 out of 52), and Tamil Nadu (23 out of 42).
The ministry said the figures relate to NH projects that are under construction and have not yet attained any of the various stages of project completion. Projects under consideration for termination or foreclosure have not been included in the assessment.
Among Union Territories, Andaman and Nicobar Islands has three ongoing NH projects, all of which have exceeded their original completion schedules, while Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu has two ongoing projects with no reported delays.
The Ministry of Road Transport and Highways provided the details in response to questions regarding the number of ongoing highway construction, widening and upgradation projects, and the status of projects delayed beyond their stipulated timelines.
