Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Wednesday said his government was investing a mammoth Rs 1,80,000 crore (Rs 1800 billion) for building highways and road network as part of efforts to develop world-class infrastructure.
Laying the foundation stone of the Rs 325 crore (Rs 3.25 billion) elevated highway project in Panipat, he said under the ambitious Rs 1,74,000 crore (Rs 1740 billion) Bharat Nirman programme, the UPA government has targeted to provide every village with well laid roads, telephone, electricity and drinking water by 2009.
"I have repeatedly said that our country needs world-class infrastructure. We have set for ourselves a growth target of 8 to 10 per cent over the coming years", he said.
Singh said to achieve this growth rate, the country would need massive investments in basic infrastructure such as roads, ports, telecom, electricity and airports.
Among the various initiatives to provide international standard infratructural facilities in the country, the Prime Minister said the centre was investing Rs 1,80,000 crore on the road network, besides providing funds to state governments to improve state highways and other roads.
He said in the last one year, the government had awarded contracts for four-laning of nearly 5,500 km of National Highways, which was the highest ever since the start of the National Highways Development Programme.
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