"Nitin Gadkari: Delhi-Mumbai Expressway to Be Completed by October 2025"

Road Transport and Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari announced in the Rajya Sabha on Wednesday that the Delhi-Mumbai Expressway is now expected to be completed by October 2025. Currently, 82% of the project, or 1,136 kilometers of the total 1,386 kilometers, has been finished.

The new expressway will connect major economic hubs across Delhi, Uttar Pradesh, Haryana, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat, and Maharashtra. It is anticipated to shorten the distance from Delhi to the Jawaharlal Nehru Port Trust (JNPT) by approximately 180 kilometers and reduce travel time by up to 50% to various destinations.

In response to a question about vehicle recalls, Gadkari reported that 0.71 million motor vehicles have been recalled as of July 25, 2024, marking the second highest recall rate since 2021, when 1.33 million vehicles were recalled. This year’s recalls include 0.68 million two-wheelers and 27,607 passenger cars. In comparison, 0.28 million vehicles were recalled in both 2022 and 2023.

According to data from the Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers (SIAM), the total number of vehicles recalled since 2021 is 2.62 million, due to safety defects.

Gadkari also highlighted that the length of national highways in India has increased 1.6 times from 91,287 kilometers in March 2014 to 146,126 kilometers currently. The government has constructed 98,021 kilometers of national highways at a cost of ₹14.55 lakh crore since April 2014.

Additionally, the budgetary allocation for the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways has risen significantly, from approximately ₹31,130 crore in 2013-14 to around ₹2,84,000 crore for 2024-25, the minister added.

ET