Bharatmala Pariyojana Scheme, Features, Highlights, UPSC Notes

Bharatmala Pariyojana scheme was launched by the Government of India to bridge the gap in infrastructural development and improve the effectiveness of road traffic movement throughout India. The scheme is implemented by the Ministry of Road, Transport and Highways of India and aims to develop 24800 km of roads, to be constructed in a phased manner. The funding of the scheme will be managed through the cess collected on petrol and diesel vehicles as well as the tax collected on toll booths along with the financial budget supported by the government. 

Bharat Pariyojana Scheme Features

Following are the features of Bharatmala Pariyojana Scheme: 

• Economic Corridor- According to the road Construction Project, the government aims to build around 9000 km of Economic Corridors. 
• Feeder Route- Feeder Route also known as Inter Corridor Category covers an area of 6000 km of road. 
• National Corridor Efficiency Improvement- 5000 km of roads would be built under the National corridor for better inter-connectivity between roads and interconnect 550 districts. 
• International connectivity and border roads- 2000 km of roads will interconnect the cities and remote areas located in border regions.
• Coastal and Port Connectivity- It has been mandatory to connect the areas around the shorelines and important ports. 
• Green Field Expressway- The construction and development of Greenfield expressway will help in better traffic and freight management. 
• NHDP Works- Maintenance and construction of new roads for about 10,000 km will be managed in this last segment. 

The Bharatmala Project focuses on improving the efficiency of the National Corridors, including the Golden Quadrilateral and the North-South and East-West Corridors, by addressing choke points through the construction of elevated corridors, bypasses, ring roads, lane expansions, and logistics parks.

The project also includes constructing strategically significant Border Roads along international boundaries and International Connectivity Roads to boost trade with neighboring countries like Myanmar, Bangladesh, Bhutan, and Nepal.

Under the program, approximately 26,200 km of Economic Corridors with heavy freight traffic have been identified for development. These corridors will be enhanced end-to-end to ensure seamless travel, uniform standards, and efficient transportation. Feeder Corridors are also planned to address infrastructure gaps and asymmetries.

All Bharatmala projects will undergo technical, financial, and economic appraisal by an empowered Project Appraisal & Technical Scrutiny Committee established under the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) and the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH).

Bharatmala Pariyojana Highlights

The Bharatmala Pariyojana scheme aims to improve the road conditions all over the country to improve traffic conditions and improve road trade transportation. Following are the key highlights of Bharat Pariyojana Scheme: 

• The scheme’s primary objective has been to improve the quality of roads that eventually leads to better connectivity and development throughout the country. 
• Conduction of new roads along shorelines, ports, inter inter-connecting border areas is one of the key focus of the scheme. 
• The goal is to complete the roads construction process within a time frame of five years. 
• The project has been divided under various segments including eastern segment, coastal and port connectivity, border connectivity etc. 

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Bharatmala Pariyojana Finance Route

The government plans to fund the Bharatmala project through four key channels:

• Market borrowings
• Central Road Fund
• Monetizing government-owned road assets
• Budgetary allocations

A total of ₹2 lakh crore will be raised through market borrowings, while ₹1 lakh crore will come from the Central Road Fund and toll collections by NHAI.

This initiative aims to boost economic growth by expanding the number of corridors from 6 to 50. The Central Government, through the Bharatmala Project, seeks to enhance trade, upgrade the National Highways, and strengthen the country’s road network.