News Brief
Maharashtra Clears Rs 2,353 Crore Four-Lane Nagpur–Chandrapur Highway
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The Cabinet Infrastructure Committee, chaired by Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, met in Mumbai on Wednesday (1 October) and approved a major road development plan for East Vidarbha.
The highlight of the meeting was the green light for a 204 km four-lane cement concrete highway between Nagpur and Chandrapur, to be built at an estimated cost of Rs 2,353.39 crore.
The Chief Minister also directed officials to prepare a proposal for extending connectivity through a Chandrapur–Mul highway.
Emphasising the long-term impact of such investments, Fadnavis said that future road projects must create an ecosystem of development, with land acquisition and planning factored in from the outset.
He further suggested that the Nagpur–Chandrapur highway, currently being extended to Navegaon More, be carried further to the Surjagarh Iron Ore Project to unlock industrial potential.
The Chief Minister warned that delays escalate costs and impose financial stress on the state.
Departments were instructed to integrate all projects with the GatiShakti portal and adopt modern technology for better planning and faster bill clearances.
Fadnavis also announced plans to enhance the Samruddhi Highway with rest areas, petrol pumps, food malls, and tourism hubs.
To speed up project execution, a new financing model will be introduced where private investors’ funds will be deployed for land acquisition and development, with assured returns to encourage participation.
Alongside the Nagpur–Chandrapur project, two other major expressways in Vidarbha were sanctioned recently — the Rs 18,539 crore Nagpur–Gondia four-lane expressway (162 km) and the Rs 10,298 crore Bhandara–Gadchiroli expressway (94 km).
