Haryana State PCS

• 20 Jan 2024

Bharatmala Project

Why in News?

In a meeting Haryana Deputy Chief Minister Dushyant Chautala and Union Minister of Road Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari discussed various issues related to the National Highways, including the Bharatmala project.

Key Points

• The discussion included the demand to open entry and exit points near Baghot in Mahendragarh district on NH-152 D.
• The Deputy Chief Minister emphasised on:
  • The construction of bypass roads under the Bharatmala project in Uchana, Hisar, and Jind.
  • The construction of underpasses on dividing roads in sectors 26 and 27 on the Panchkula-Yamunanagar highway.
  • A survey to upgrade the Gurugram-Farukh Nagar-Jhajjar-Charkhi Dadri-Loharu road.
  • To connect Nelson Mandela Marg Delhi MG Road Gurugram to Faridabad Road.

National Highways

• National Highways (NH) are the arterial roads of the country for inter-state movement of passengers and goods.
• They traverse the length and width of the country connecting the National and State capitals, major ports and rail junctions and link up with border roads and foreign highways.
• The NHs including Expressways constitute only about 1.7% of the length of all roads, they carry about 40% of the road traffic.

Bharatmala Project

• It was started in 2015 by the Union government. It is an umbrella project under the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways.
• Under the plan the government intends to develop 83,677 km of highways and roads at an investment of around Rs 7 lakh crore.
• In the first phase, the plan is to construct 34,800 km of highways at a cost of Rs 5.35 lakh crore.
• It focuses on the new initiatives like development of Border and International connectivity roads, Coastal & port connectivity roads, improving efficiency of National Corridors, Economic corridors and others.

Mukhymantri Shehri Nikay Swamitva Yojana

Why in News?

Recently, Haryana Chief Secretary Sanjeev Kaushal directed the officials to swiftly process applications under the Mukhymantri Shehri Nikay Swamitva Yojana and grant ownership rights to occupants of shops and houses built on government land for 20 years.

• This applies to land owned by departments, boards, municipal corporations, nagar parishads and municipalities.

Key Points

• The State Nodal Officers (SNO) have been designated by Haryana State Agricultural Marketing Board, Irrigation and Water Resources Department, Printing and Stationery Department, Public Health Engineering, Haryana Shari Vikas Pradhikarn and Revenue and Disaster Department.
• It was informed that as of now, 99 applications have been approved for ownership rights, while 901 remain pending. Each department must decide on pending applications within 15 days.
  • If the decision is not taken within this period, then the decision of the district level officer of the department to which the land belongs will be valid.
  • The Urban Local Bodies Department will hold regular meetings with all the concerned departments in this regard and will send their report to the Chief Secretary office.

Mukhymantri Shehri Nikay Swamitva Yojana

• It is designed to give ownership of Commercial Land of Municipalities running on rent or lease for more than 20 years in the State.
• Under this Scheme, individuals who have been occupying the land for 20 years through rent or lease are being given Ownership Rights on payment of up to 80% of the Collector Rate.
• Similarly, according to the limit of years occupied by the land, the Collector Rate will have to be paid at different rates, such as 75% of the Collector Rate for 25 years, 70% for 30 years, 65% for 35 years, 60% for 40 years, 55% for 45 years. There is a provision to give Ownership Rights on payment of 50% for 50 years.