The Union government on April 9 stated that it would invest Rs 5,000 crore towards conversion of 10,000 km of state roads into National Highways over the next three-five years. Minister of State for Road Transport and Highways Sarvey Sathyanarayana said in Delhi that the Centre is to spend about Rs 5,000 crore in a phased manner and will complete 10,000 km National Highways in Andhra Pradesh in the next 3-5 years.
When asked about the rationale behind this conversion, he said that this is mainly to cater to the increasing population for public convenience and betterment. He added that the State governments may not be able to do so, mainly due to financial constraints. These State roads are converted to National Highways on the basis of networth, longer connectivity, etc.
The aim is primarily to connect all the state capitals, a Road Ministry official said. In the year 2009, there was a demand for converting 35,000 km to National Highways.
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