By IANS,
Chandigarh : Journeying through Punjab roads could be a less bumpy ride in the future with the World Bank (WB) Wednesday approving a grant of Rs.2,100 crore (Rs.21 billion) for the upgradation of over 950 km of roads in the state.
The funds will be given for the second phase of Punjab state road sector project (PSRSP).
The project, for the first time in the country, will see the upgradation of roads in the state under a new concept of output and performance-based road contracting (OPRC) being introduced by the Punjab government.
A decision to this effect was taken during a meeting between a high level World Bank team and Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal Wednesday here.
The WB team comprised lead transport specialist and country sector coordinator, Ben L.J. Eijbergen and other senior officials. The WB team expressed satisfaction over the implementation of the first phase of the PSRSP.
Badal told the WB team that the state government will organize an international level road show March 26 and 27 at Chandigarh to appraise visiting international players about road infrastructure projects and futuristic programmes of the state.
“We are committed to providing world class road infrastructure in Punjab,” Badal said.
The new project will see roads’ upgradation in all three regions, Malwa (south Punjab), Majha (north Punjab) and Doaba (central Punjab). Out of these, 595 km of roads will be upgraded in Bathinda, Mansa and Sangrur districts, 208 km in Amritsar and Gurdaspur districts and 155 km roads in Anandpur Sahib and Hoshiarpur.