700 wayside amenities along national highways to be completed by FY29: Nitin Gadkari
New Delhi(The Uttam Hindu): The government on Wednesday said that the development of more than 700 wayside amenities (WSAs) along national highways is likely to be completed by the financial year 2028-2029. The wayside amenities have provision of facilities like fuel station, electric vehicle charging station, toilets, drinking water, parking, dhaba/restaurant/eateries, etc.
Union Minister of Road Transport and Highways, Nitin Gadkari, said in the Rajya Sabha that 501 WSAs along national highways/expressways have been awarded to date. Out of these, 94 WSAs have been made operational, the minister informed. The government, through National Highways Logistics Management Limited (NHLML) envisions development of WHAs at approximate intervals of 40-60 kms.
“A digital feedback system to enable users to provide digital inputs is installed at WSAs for the purpose of quality monitoring,” said the ministry. WSAs are operated by operators selected through a private bidding. However, to create employment opportunities and promote local artisans, areas have been assigned for Kiosks as part of mandatory facilities in dedicated covered zones, according to the ministry.
In order to promote the local produce, village 'haats' have been provisioned as permissible facilities through Khadi and Village Industries Commission (KVIC). Meanwhile, to maintain the vast National Highway (NH) network, the government has approved short-term maintenance contract (STMC) works in 17,884 km length, costing Rs 2,842 crore, and performance-based maintenance contract (PBMC) works in 6,118 km length, costing Rs 6,757 crore, in the current fiscal (FY25), the government informed late last month.
At present, 1,310 NH projects in 31,187 km length costing Rs 8.11 lakh crore are under construction in the country. While STMC works are generally undertaken for a contract period of 1-2 years, PBMC works are undertaken for a contract period of about 5-7 years. Additionally, the government has taken up the installation of the Advanced Traffic Management System (ATMS) on four-lane and above national highways.
