Haryana govt consistently upgrading road, rail infra to meet growing needs: Governor

Chandigarh, Mar 7 (PTI) Haryana Governor Bandaru Dattatreya on Friday said the state government is consistently upgrading both road and railway infrastructure to meet the growing needs of freight and passenger traffic.

Addressing the Haryana Assembly on the first day of the budget session, the Governor said it is well known that infrastructure is a key parameter for the physical and economic development of any state.

"It strengthens the state's economy by attracting industries and investments. Today, there is not a single district in the state that is not connected to a National Highway," Dattatreya said.

He said in the last decade, 55,016 km of roads have been improved in the state at a cost of Rs 30,498 crore while 8,086 km of new roads have been constructed with an investment of Rs 4,702 crore.

The construction of 87 railway over bridges, underground bridges and other bridges has been completed at Rs 1,712 crore, he said.

"The government is consistently upgrading both road and railway infrastructure to meet the growing needs of freight and passenger traffic.

"On February 16, 2024, the Rohtak-Meham-Hansi railway line was inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi," he said.

The elevated railway line project in Kurukshetra city has been successfully completed at a cost of Rs 371 crore, he added.

Additionally, work on the Haryana Orbital Rail Corridor, from Prithla in Palwal to Sonipat, along with the KMP Expressway, is going on at a fast pace. The project will have an estimated cost of Rs 5,618 crore, the Governor said.

The Governor also touched upon the newly established Haryana Airports Development Corporation Ltd, which he said, is driving advancements in aviation infrastructure, including maintenance, repair, and overhaul, as well as aerospace and defence manufacturing.

Hisar now hosts the state's first airport, named after Maharaja Agrasen, with domestic flights set to commence soon. Additionally, a domestic airport is under construction on 20 acres of land in Ambala, he said.

The government plans to increase Haryana's state transport fleet from 4,000 to 5,300 buses.

Further, the Governor informed that electric buses will be introduced for long-distance travel in the national capital region (NCR), with city bus services already being started in Gurugram and Faridabad.

In his speech, he also highlighted the role of the Mission Haryana-2047 Task Force which aims to increase the state's gross state domestic product (GSDP) to 1 trillion dollars by 2047.

He said the industries are the backbone of our economy.

A global city is being developed on 1,000 acres along the Dwarka Expressway in Gurugram as an industrial and business hub.

Industrial model townships are being developed on 3,300 acres in Kharkhoda and 1,400 acres in Sohna. Under the Delhi-Mumbai Industrial Corridor, an 'Integrated Multi-Modal Logistics Hub' is being developed in Narnaul over an area of 887 acres at Rs 1,852 crore, he said.

Furthermore, the Governor said Maruti Suzuki India Ltd is establishing a car manufacturing plant on 800 acres at IMT Kharkhoda with an investment of Rs 18,000 crore, generating 10,000 jobs.

Suzuki Motorcycle India Pvt Ltd is also developing a two-wheeler manufacturing facility on 100 acres at IMT Kharkhoda, with an investment of Rs 2,000 crore which will lead to the creation of 2,000 jobs, he said, adding that an electronics manufacturing cluster is being developed in Sohna in over 500 acres of land.

Over the last 10 years, there has been a trend of growth in the state's GSDP and per capita income, he said.

"In 2023-24, the per capita income of the state has increased to Rs 3,25,759 up from Rs 1,47,382 in the year 2014-15. The GSDP for the year 2023-24 has increased to Rs 10,95,523 crore, compared to Rs 4,37,144.71 crore in the year 2014-15," he said.

He acknowledged the role played by traders in the development of the state.

Haryana has recorded a 28 per cent increase in GST collection, the highest among large states, he added.

On the national campaign 'Hamara Samvidhaan - Hamara Samman', Dattatreya said various programmes are being organised throughout the year in Haryana to raise awareness among the new generation about the duties and rights enshrined in the Constitution. PTI SUN SHW

Source: PTI