92% GQ to be ready by Dec

About 92 per cent of the 5846-km Golden Quadrilateral project is expected to be completed by December 2005, Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways and Shipping T R Baalu said on Saturday.

The project covers National Highways connecting Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai and Kolkata.

"There are lot of court cases and in many states land acquisition did not happen. A number of contractors have been debarred in this project. This has delayed the project works. So only about 92 per cent of the project will be completed by December 2005," he said.

"However, we hope to complete the remaining eight per cent before the end of 2006, he said. "Presently about 74 per cent of the GQ project has been completed."

The GQ project was originally expected to be completed by December 2004. Baalu also said the government had no plan to declare new national highways above the current length in the immediate future.

The total length of national highways in the country is 65,569 km. Out of this, a stretch of 14,279 km has been handed over to National Highways Authority of India.

He dismissed the charge that NHDP works slowed down after he took charge. "NDA government was in office for about 1245 days and in their regime 3397 km of roads were constructed. That is, per day 2.7 km of road was constructed," he said.

"I took charge as minister on May 26 last year and till December 31, roads for a distance of 1649 km have been constructed.  That is 7.6 km of road per day," he added.