Year End Review 2024; Ministry of Road Transport and Highways
1.1 Road Network in the Country: India has the second largest road network and its National Highways span a total length of 146,195 km, forming the primary arterial network of the country. The Government of India has undertaken several initiatives to enhance and strengthen the National Highways network through flagship programmes such as the Bharatmala Pariyojana which includes the subsumed National Highway Development Project (NHDP), the Special Accelerated Road Development Programme for the North-East Region (SARDP-NE), the Special Programme for the development of roads in Left Wing Extremism-affected Areas (LWE), including the development of the Vijayawada-Ranchi Road, and Externally Aided Projects (EAP). Sr. No. Year Award (in km) Construction (in km) Construction (in km / day) 1 2014-15 7972 4,410 12.1 2 2015-16 10098 6,061 16.6 3 2016-17 15948 8,231 22.6 4 2017-18 17055 9,829 26.9 5 2018-19 5493 10,855 29.7 6 2019-20 8948 10,237 28.1 7 2020-21 10964 13,327 36.5 8 2021-22 12731 10,457 28.6 9 2022-23 12376 10,331 28.3 10 2023-24 8581 12349 33.83 11 2024-25 (till Dec’24) 3100 5853 21.28 The status of works taken up under SARDP-NE as on 30 th November, 2024 is as under: Total Length (in km) Length Completed (in km) 5,998 (Original: 6,418) 5,702 The status of works taken up under LWE, including Development of Vijayawada-Ranchi Road, as on 30 th November 2024 is as under: – Total Length (in km) Length Completed (in km) 6,014 5,775 The status of works taken up under EAP [with loan assistance from World Bank/Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA)/Asian Development Bank (ADB)] as on 30 th November, 2024 is as under: – Total Length (in km) Length Completed (in km) 3,105 2,540 The NHs works other than scheme projects are prioritised for development in a phased manner based on the traffic requirement under National Highway (Original) works. At present, works in about 12,500 km NH length are under construction under NH(O). This also includes Bharatmala Projects under which 26,425 km has been awarded and 18,926 km has been completed till 30 th November, 2024. 1.8 Total outstanding liabilities under all schemes of MoRTH is about Rs. 6.48 lakh crore. The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs chaired by the Hon’ble Prime Minister has approved the development of 08 important National High Speed Corridor projects with a Length of 936 km at a cost of Rs. 50,655 crore across the country. Implementation of these 8 projects will generate an estimated 4.42 crore man days of direct and indirect employment. Brief of these projects as are under: O 8-Lane Elevated Nashik Phata – Khed Corridor near Pune 1.11 Asset Monetisation: (i) TOT (Toll Operate and Transfer) Model – Under this model, the right of collection of user fee (toll) in respect of selected operational highways constructed through public funding are assigned through a concession agreement as a result of bidding for a specified period of 15-30 years to the Concessionaire against upfront payment of a lump-sum amount quoted to the Government/NHAI. During the concession period, the responsibility for operations and maintenance of the road assets rests with the Concessionaire. Under this model, NHAI has monetised four TOT Bundle 11,12,13 and 14 and realised Rs. 15,968 crore during the financial year 2023-24 totalling Rs. 42,334 crore, so far. Due to the continuing liquidity stress in the infrastructure sector, the Ministry had received requests from field officers as well as NHBF to continue the relaxations provided in Schedule H/G as provided earlier by Circular COVID-19/RoadMap/JS(H)/2020 dated 4 th May 2023. It was felt desirable and imperative that the Schedule H/G may be amended by the Ministry for all future contracts on a standing basis. Accordingly, the Ministry vide letter number COVID19/RoadMap/JS(H)/2020 dated 11 th October 2024 has amended the Schedule H of the MCA for EPC projects for all future/upcoming projects, to ease the persisting liquidity stress in the highway construction sector. In March 2024, the Ministry has amended the Model Concession Agreement (MCA) for Capacity Augmentation on BOT(Toll) (4 to 6 Lane). This was done to reduce the litigation and to attract more bids in BOT(Toll) projects. The Ministry finalised the Model Concessionaire Agreement (MCA) for the Multi-Modal Logistics Parks (MMLPs) in October 2021 through an elaborate process of Inter-Ministerial consultations. In addition to the MCA, the Ministry, in November 2021, also finalized and approved the Model RFP document of selection of Concessionaire for development of MMLPs. A network of 35 Multimodal Logistics Parks is planned to be developed as part of Bharatmala Pariyojana, with a total investment of about Rs. 46,000 crore, which once operational, shall be able to handle around 700 million metric tonnes of cargo. Of this, MMLPs at 15 prioritised locations will be developed with a total investment of about Rs. 22,000 crore. These MMLPs shall serve as regional cargo aggregation and distribution hubs for various industrial and agricultural nodes, consumer hubs and EXIM gateways such as seaports with multi-modal connectivity. In certain cases, the MMLPs are also being developed in tandem with the Inland Waterway Terminals under the Sagarmala Pariyojana to further reduce the cost of inland cargo movement at a much larger scale as compared to conventional road-based movement. 2.1.1 MMLP Jogighopa (Assam) in Advanced Stage: Execution of enabling development work including road, rail & water connectivity, area development such as site levelling, boundary work, internal road, administrative building, Sewage Treatment Plant, Waste Treatment Plant, etc., is in advance stage. Procurement of developer on PPP basis (Concession Period: 45 years) for construction of logistics facilities such as business center, container yard, warehouses, cold storage, etc., and operations thereof subsequently is in process. The estimated cost of the first phase of the project is Rs. 693.97 crore. The foundation stone of the project was laid in October 2020 by Hon'ble Minister for Road Transport & Highways Shri Nitin Gadkari. This MMLP will serve as the distribution center for all North-Eastern States and facilitate cross-border trade with Bangladesh, Bhutan and Nepal. S. No. MMLP State Location Land (Area) Investment (Rs. Cr.) Mode 1 Jogighopa Assam Jogighopa 190 694 EPC 2 Chennai Tamil Nadu Mappedu 181 1,423 PPP 3 Indore Madhya Pradesh Pithampur 255 1,111 PPP 4 Bangalore Karnataka Dabbaspete 400 1,770 PPP 5 Nagpur Maharashtra Sindi 150 673 PPP 6 Jalna Maharashtra Jalna 63 66 EPC These projects, when completed, will contribute significantly to the growth of India's logistics sector with reduction in carbon emission and strengthen the country's infrastructure. The Bids have been invited for MMLP Anantapur, Pune and Nashik and work of preparation of Feasibility Study Reports is in progress for MMLP at Patna, Jammu, Coimbatore & Hyderabad. India has a total coastline of ~7,500 km across 13 States/Union Territories. There are 227 Ports (13 Major, 214 Non-Major) along the coastline of which 78 ports are operational (12 Major, 66 Non-Major), 11 ports (1 Major, 10 Non-Major) are under implementation and other 138 ports are currently non-operational. Out of 89 operational/under-implementation ports, 64 have sufficient connectivity. MoRTH has planned the development of 108 PCR projects of length 3,700 km. To ensure adequate last-mile connectivity to all the operational/under implementation ports in the country, a comprehensive Port Connectivity Masterplan was developed by MoRTH in consultation with Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways (MoPSW) and Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT). As part of the Masterplan, connectivity requirements of all the operational and under implementation ports were assessed and connectivity projects were identified. 59 additional critical infrastructure projects of length ~1,300 km was finally selected for implementation. These projects will help in improving last- mile required road connectivity to all the operational/under-implementation ports in India providing a boost to economic activities via seamless movement of goods. Post the completion of all the Port Connectivity Projects, all the 89 operational and under-implementation ports in the country shall have sufficient connectivity. Currently 10 projects having about 313 km length has been completed, 26 projects having about 1754 km length are under implementation and Bidding process/DPR is in progress for remaining 72 projects ( 1631 km ). To improve the comfort and convenience of the Highway users, the Ministry has planned the development of state-of-the-art Wayside Amenities (WSA) at about every 40-60 km along the National Highways on PPP mode. These facilities are aimed to provide multiple options of rest and refreshment for the highway commuters during their journey. Some of the mandatory facilities being developed at each WSA are fuel stations, EV charging stations, food court/restaurants, dhabas , convenience stores, clean and hygienic toilet facilities, drinking water, first aid/medical room including childcare room, dedicated area for promoting local artisans, car/bus/truck parking, Trucker facilities like Dhaba's, dormitories, drone landing facilities / helipad, etc. A total of 700+ WSAs were planned to be awarded along the National Highways by FY 2025-26. 322 WSAs have already been awarded of which 162 WSAs were awarded in FY 2023-24. Out of 322 WSAs, 83 sites are operational. These WSAs offer huge opportunities for investors, developers, operators and retailers. All upcoming Greenfield Access-controlled Highway projects are provisioned to have Wayside Amenities. This will also promote local economy by generating employment opportunities and help local people to market their unique produces/handicrafts, etc., at village haats developed at these places. Ministry has Development Programme – Parvatmala Pariyojana across the country to improve connectivity & convenience for commuters in hilly regions and to decongest urban areas where conventional mode of transport is saturated or not feasible. Under this programme, the Ministry envisages provision of safe, economical, convenient, efficient, self-sustainable & world-class ropeway infrastructure providing first & last mile connectivity to improve logistics efficiency in India. Under Parvatmala Pariyojana, ropeway projects of ~60 km length are planned for award by FY 2023-24. Out of these, Ropeway at Varanasi (Uttar Pradesh) of 3.85 km is under construction. Additionally, 05 ropeway projects of 8.23 km length are awarded, viz., Bijli Mahadev (Himachal Pradesh), Dhosi Hill (Haryana), Mahakaleshwar Temple (Madhya Pradesh), Sangam (Uttar Pradesh) and Shankaracharya Temple (Jammu and Kashmir). Bids for 10 projects of 53.35 km length have been invited viz. Sangam (Uttar Pradesh), Shankaracharya Temple (Jammu and Kashmir), Sonprayag – Kedarnath (Uttarakhand), Govindghat – Hemkund Sahib (Uttarakhand), Kamakhya Temple (Assam), Tawang Monastery – P T Tso Lake (Arunachal Pradesh), Kathgodam – Hanuman Garhi Temple, Nainital (Uttarakhand), Tikitoriya Mata Temple (Madhya Pradesh), Ramtek Gad Temple (Maharashtra) and Brahmagiri to Anjaneri (Maharashtra). Detailed Feasibility Study is in progress for additional 12 projects of 52 km length for further assessment. In addition, Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) have been signed with 13 States/UTs, viz., Uttar Pradesh, Andhra Pradesh, Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Assam, Tripura, Nagaland, Arunachal Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Haryana, Karnataka and Maharashtra for implementation of ropeway projects under Parvatmala Pariyojana in coordination with State Government/UT Administration. 3.1.1 11 th March 2024 at Gurugram, Haryana – National Highways projects worth more than Rs. 1 lakh crore for different States. (i) Inauguration: Rs. 2,950 crore in the state of Andhra Pradesh; (ii) Foundation Stone: 3.1.2 10 th March 2024 at Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh – dedicated to the nation and laid the foundation stone of several road projects worth more than Rs. 19,000 crore which include- i. Inauguration: Three packages of four lane Lucknow Ring Road and six laning of Chakeri to Allahabad Section of NH-2; ii. Foundation Stone: 3.1.3 9th March, 2024 at Siliguri – inauguration of two road projects – four-laning of Ghoshpukur – Dhupguri Section of NH 27 and four-lane Islampur Bypass – worth more than Rs 3,000 crore. 3.1.4 6th March, 2024 at Betia, Bihar – inauguration of two-laning of Piprakothi – Motihari – Raxaul section of NH-28A with paved shoulder Raxaul section of NH-28A with paved shoulder. Laid the foundation stone of the six-lane Cable Bridge across river Ganga one of the longest river bridges in the country. i. Inauguration: paved shoulders in Telangana ii. Foundation Stone: 3.1.6 5 th March 2024 at Chandikhole, Odisha – inauguration and laying of the foundation stone for three National Highway projects which include: i. Inauguration: 3.1.7 2nd March, 2024 at Aurangabad, Bihar – National Highway projects worth more than Rs.18,100 crore (including following important projects) (i) Inauguration: (ii) Foundation Stone: 54 km long four-lane access-controlled Greenfield National Highway from Shivrampur to Ramnagar, 3.1.8 2nd March, 2024 at Krishnanagar, West Bengal: inauguration of the road project for four laning of Farakka-Raiganj Section of NH-12 (100 KM), developed at a cost of about Rs.1,986 crore. Airport to Dhargal on NH-166S in Goa: Hon’ble Minister for Road Transport and Highways dedicated to the nation a 6-Lane access-controlled 7 km road project with elevated viaducts from Manohar International Airport to Dhargal on NH-166S in Goa costing Rs.1183 crore. This development is expected to enhance tourism activities and provide a boost to multi-modal connectivity, thereby reducing logistics costs. The Ministry is responsible for the formulation of broad policies relating to regulation of road transport in the country, besides making/monitoring arrangements for vehicular traffic to and from neighbouring countries. The following Acts/Rules, which embody the policy relating to motor vehicles and State Road Transport Corporations (SRTCs), are being administered by the Ministry: Motor Vehicles Act, 1988 Central Motor Vehicles Rules, 1989 Road Transport Corporations Act, 1950 Carriage by Road Act, 2007 Carriage by Road Rules, 2011 i.e., during remaining period of 15 th Finance Commission Cycle). The total outlay of the Scheme is estimated to be Rs.175 Crore from Ministry. Previous Scheme had fund of share of 50% by Ministry but the revamped scheme has fund share of 70% by Ministry and remaining 30% will be contributed by respective Transport Bodies. One of the key IT initiatives by the MoRTH to modernize transport sector management and operations is the e-Transport Mission Mode Project. This comprehensive digital platform, developed with technical support from NIC, enables all transport-related services through a centralized, web-based system that operates nationwide. It has significantly transformed the service delivery mechanisms for various transport activities, including vehicle registration, driving licenses, taxation, fitness, permits, and enforcement. This project has automated operations and transformed 200+ citizen/trade-centric Transport services into Faceless/Contactless mode leveraging advanced technologies like, Aadhaar Authentication, eKYC, eSign/DSC, Artificial Intelligence – AI based Facial Recognition, and GPS location capture. The launch of these Faceless Services is a quantum leap in the transport system. E-Transport project encompasses an extensive array of Government-to Government (G-G), Government-to-Business (G-B), and Government-to-Citizen (G-C) services, benefiting many stakeholders e.g. citizens, vehicle manufacturers, dealers, transporters, banks, insurance companies, security agencies, enforcement agencies as well as various state/central government departments and their applications. To facilitate seamless transfer of vehicles across states and eliminates the need for assigning a new registration mark during interstate owner transfers, a provision for “Bharat series (BH series)” is provided as per Gazette Notification G.S.R. – 294 (E) issued by Ministry of Road Transport & Highways. NIC has incorporated the needful changes in the Dealer point module and facility has been provided to 27 States for Central issuance of BH series number from the portal. AITP, developed by NIC under MoRTH Gazette notification G.S.R. 302(E), allows tourist vehicle operators to transport tourists and their luggage across India. The "All India Tourist Permit" (AITP) is a permit issued by the Transport Authority, authorising tourist vehicle operators or owners to transport tourists, either individually or in groups, along with their personal luggage throughout India, upon payment of the permit fee. This initiative simplifies interstate travel, enhancing mobility and supporting the tourism sector by eliminating the need for multiple permits. In e-Transport Project, faceless services have been introduced to ensure an efficient and fully digital approach in delivering various transport-related services to citizens through Vahan and Sarathi. It enables citizens to avail it in a completely online, contactless manner, from the comfort of their homes. Both MoRTH and NIC have transitioned the existing transport services to a faceless mode, employing advanced technologies such as Aadhaar authentication, eKYC, AI-based face recognition, e-Sign, and other business process transformations. Currently, more than 90 transport services are completely Contactless. However, implementation varies from state to state. NextGen mParivahan serves as the mobile extension of Vahan, Sarathi, and other e-Transport components, available on Android and iOS platforms. It offers citizens access to 75+ online services/utilities for driving licenses, vehicle registration, taxation, fitness, permits, and other transport-related needs. Integrated with Vahan, Sarathi, e-Challan, and other repositories, it facilitates seamless data exchange. With over 11.55 crore app downloads, it's one of the most popular government apps. Following are the services and utilities incorporated in the app. 4.3.5 Scheme for providing Cashless Treatment to the victims of road accidents caused due to motor vehicles In line with its commitment to reduce fatalities due to road accidents and the legal mandate under section 162 of the Motor Vehicles Act, 1988, Government is formulating a scheme to provide cashless treatment to the victims of road accidents caused by the use of motor vehicles. Key features of the scheme are as under: Ministry of Road Transport and Highways has approved a scheme (on 15 th January, 2020) for implementation of “Development, Customization, Deployment and Management of State-wise vehicle tracking platform for Safety & Enforcement as per AIS 140 Specifications in States / UTs under Nirbhaya Framework” at total estimated cost of Rs. 463.90 crore (including Central and State share, as per Nirbhaya Framework). The proposed system envisages enhancing the safety of women and girl children by establishing Monitoring Centers across States/UTs, which shall track all the Public Service Vehicles (PSV) that are fitted with location tracking device and emergency buttons for raising an alert in case of emergency. The Monitoring Centre will monitor the alerts and coordinate with State Emergency Response Support System (SERSS) for responding to distress calls. MoRTH had earlier issued a notification dated 28 th November, 2016, wherein Vehicle Location Tracking (VLT) device and emergency buttons were mandated to be fitted in all public service vehicles. Further, the responsibility of fitting VLT device and emergency buttons lies with the vehicle owner, and this scheme shall finance only the setting up of Monitoring Centre in each State/UT for the tracking of PSVs. MoRTH has received proposals from thirty-five States/UTs, namely, Chhattisgarh, Nagaland, Himachal Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Jammu & Kashmir, Ladakh, Andaman & Nicobar, Bihar, West Bengal, Sikkim, Chandigarh, Karnataka, Punjab, Odisha, Kerala, Meghalaya, Assam, Puducherry, Jharkhand, Manipur, Uttarakhand, Goa, Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Arunachal Pradesh, Daman & Diu and Dadar & Nagar Haveli, Rajasthan, Mizoram, Tripura, Andhra Pradesh, Delhi, Haryana, Gujarat, Tamil Nadu and Lakshadweep. The Ministry has released the funds amounting to Rs. 220.11 crore. MoRTH has been closely monitoring the implementation of this scheme. Periodic reviews are being done with the State representatives and other stakeholders. So far, thirty-three States have received the funds and out of which fourteen States, namely Bihar, Himachal Pradesh, Puducherry, Uttarakhand, Chhattisgarh, Mizoram, Sikkim, West-Bengal, Andaman, Odisha, Chandigarh, Kerala, Karnataka and Arunachal Pradesh have already set up the monitoring centres. More States/UTs are in the advanced stages of commissioning the Monitoring Centres. 5.1. The Voluntary Vehicle-Fleet Modernization Program (V-VMP) or “Vehicle Scrapping Policy” was launched by Hon’ble Prime Minister on 13th August, 2021. It is aimed at creating an ecosystem for phasing out of unfit and polluting vehicles in an eco-friendly manner. To enable successful implementation of this policy, a network of Registered Vehicle Scrapping Facilities (RVSFs) for environmentally friendly, safe, and scientific scrapping of vehicles is required to be set up across India. Additionally, a network of Automated Testing Stations (ATSs) is required for improved transparency and objectivity in fitness testing of vehicles. The policy targets voluntary scrapping of unfit commercial and private vehicles. RVSF was developed by the National Informatics Centre (NIC) under MoRTH Gazette notification GSR 653(E). This application facilitates motor vehicle owners in efficiently phasing out old and unfit vehicles with high emissions, thereby mitigating the deterioration of air quality. The primary objective of this application is to remove polluting vehicles from running on the roads and subsequently lower the country’s carbon footprint. All applications and processes for vehicle scrapping have been made online and time-bound for vehicles registered on the Vahan portal. Total States that have implemented AFMS till date are 36. 5.3 Citizen Centric Initiatives: 5.3.1 The policy focuses on citizen centricity by allowing vehicles registered in any State to be fitness tested / scrapped at any ATS / RVSF in the country. A citizen receives a Certificate of Deposit (CD) issued only by RVSFs on scrapping their vehicles. To incentivize vehicles owners to scrap their vehicles at RVSFs, various incentives are provided by Government and Auto OEMs on new vehicles purchased against CDs: 5.3.2 In addition to the above financial incentives, there are a lot of non-financial incentives including: M&HCVs. Similarly, emissions from a BS I and BS II M&HCV are equivalent to ~7 BS VI M&HCVs and ~6 BS VI M&HCVs respectively. 5.3.3 Further, to disincentivize vehicle owners from using older vehicles, MoRTH has increased fees for registration, fitness certificate issuance and fitness testing of older vehicles vide MoRTH GSR 714 (E). For citizen convenience and seamless experience to users, a digital infrastructure has been created on the Vahan portal for V-VMP to facilitate scrapping of end-of-life vehicles and fitness testing. End-to-end digitisation of citizen journey of scrapping and vehicle fitness testing through Vahan modules (AFMS and Vscrap) from booking appointment, submitting application, and issuing applicable certificates (e.g., certificate of deposit on scrapping, fitness test report and certificate) Fully integrated portals with Vahan database enabling dynamic updation of records like vehicle scrapping status and fitness test results on real-time in respective national databases, eliminating additional manual interventions for citizen. Citizen incentives linked to CD are configured across relevant state department portals to ensure seamless disbursement of benefits such as MV Tax concession and waiver of registration fee at all touchpoints. Citizen awareness campaign has also been launched for vehicle owners to be informed of policy benefits. 5.4 Investment promotion and ease of doing business: 5.5 Digital dashboards and data for compliance tracking: 5.6 Financial incentives to State Governments to expedite policy implementation: 5.7 Current Policy Implementation Status: 5.7.1 Vehicle Scrapping (As on 16.12.2024): v. Government vehicles contribute more than 50% of scrapped vehicles till date since we provided an initial impetus to the established RVSF infrastructure (supply-side ecosystem) by mandatory scrapping of Government vehicles older than 15 years. vi. Monthly volume of Government owned vehicles scrapped is ~5,000 for FY24-25 YTD which is 155% more than last year (3,177 monthly avg. scrapping volume in FY23-24). vii. For non-Government owned vehicles, while more initiatives to boost scrapping volume (demand-side initiatives) needs to be done, there has been a significant growth in scrapping volume. viii. Monthly volume of non-Government owned vehicles scrapped is ~5,500 for FY24-25 YTD which is 270% more than last year (2,077 monthly avg. scrapping volume in FY2324). 5.7.2 Vehicle Fitness Testing (As on 16.12.2024): 6.1 Identification and Rectification of Accident Blackspots: High priority is accorded to identification and rectification of blackspots (accidents prone spots) on National Highways. Concerted efforts towards improvement of road safety through engineering measures on National Highways have been made. A total of 13,795 black spots have been identified on the NHs, out of which short-term rectification measures have been completed on 9,525 black spots and permanent rectification have been completed on 4,777 black spots. Rectification of the identified blackspots is in progress. Besides, rectification measures are also taken on the accident spots reported on eDAR portal on priority. The Ministry is taking following steps to rectify the black spots: Emergency/medical facilities for the road accident victims are provided as per the respective contract/concession agreements signed between NHAI and the contractor/concessionaire. Ministry has taken various initiatives to make vehicles safer, including the following: For all M and N category vehicles: 7.1 BhoomiRashi Portal: The Ministry of Road Transport and Highways has launched BhoomiRashi Portal to digitize the land acquisition notification process to accelerate highways infrastructure development projects and payment to compensation for land acquisition. The portal has been made mandatory for processing all the land acquisition proposals w.e.f. 1st April, 2018. The Portal has made land acquisition process faster and error-free. It has greatly reduced the time period for publication of notifications and brought in efficiency as well as transparency in the whole process. 7.2. The key objectives of avoiding parking of funds in bank accounts and ensuring transparent real time deposit of funds in the account of the individuals whose land/property were acquired have successfully been achieved by integrating the payment of compensation with the BhoomiRashi Portal via Public, Finance Management System (PFMS). This initiative of MoRTH has resulted in a more robust and efficient land acquisition for road construction in the country. The Ministry has also organized workshops and training programmes across the country to make the field offices familiar to the latest updates in BhoomiRashi Portal and new development in LA process. A total of 16,622 notifications under section 3 of National Highways Act, 1956 have been published and around 1,47,320.11 hectare of land has been acquired under section 3-D of the Act through BhoomiRashi Portal from 1st April, 2018 to 30th November, 2024. 8.1. Safety Requirements for Electric Power Train Construction Equipment Vehicles: MoRTH vide G.S.R. 721(E) inserted rule 125-O in Central Motor Vehicles Rules (CMVR), 1989 regarding Safety Requirements for Electric Power Train Construction Equipment Vehicles and mandated that On and after 1 st day of January, 2025, Construction Equipment Vehicles fitted with Electric Power Train shall meet requirements as specified in AIS-174, till the corresponding BIS specifications are notified under the Bureau of Indian Standard Act, 2016 (11 of 2016). The Ministry has issued GSR 709(E) dated the 14th November, 2024 (amending rule 62 of the Central Motor Vehicles Rules, 1989) which provides for extension of date for mandatory testing of Transport Vehicles through an Automated Testing Station, registered in accordance with rule 175 of the Central Motor Vehicle Rules 1989 to 01st April 2025. The BRICS is a forum for cooperation among a group of leading emerging economies. Transport plays a crucial role in driving economy’s growth and offers opportunities, facilitating trade and investment as well as importance of keeping supply chains open, safe, secure, transparent and resilient for improving connectivity across BRICS area. BRICS Transport Ministers' Meeting was held in June, 2024 in St. Petersburg, Russia on the margins of the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum (the SPIEF). MoRTH delegation, led by Secretary (RT&H), attended the meeting. The second meeting of the Russian-Indian Working Group on Roads and Intelligent Transport Systems was held in Moscow, Russia on 24 th September 2024. The meeting was chaired jointly by Secretary, Ministry of Road Transport & Highways, Government of India, and State Secretary & Deputy Minister of Road Transport of the Russian Federation. Two sides discussed ways to facilitate the exchange and sharing of the information in the areas of improving technologies and materials in road and bridge construction and promote joint research in these fields. Opportunities to develop mutual investments in highways and transport infrastructure related programs/projects, was also discussed. ******* GDH/THR 1.1 Road Network in the Country: India has the second largest road network and its National Highways span a total length of 146,195 km, forming the primary arterial network of the country. The Government of India has undertaken several initiatives to enhance and strengthen the National Highways network through flagship programmes such as the Bharatmala Pariyojana which includes the subsumed National Highway Development Project (NHDP), the Special Accelerated Road Development Programme for the North-East Region (SARDP-NE), the Special Programme for the development of roads in Left Wing Extremism-affected Areas (LWE), including the development of the Vijayawada-Ranchi Road, and Externally Aided Projects (EAP). Sr. No. Year Award (in km) Construction (in km) Construction (in km / day) 1 2014-15 7972 4,410 12.1 2 2015-16 10098 6,061 16.6 3 2016-17 15948 8,231 22.6 4 2017-18 17055 9,829 26.9 5 2018-19 5493 10,855 29.7 6 2019-20 8948 10,237 28.1 7 2020-21 10964 13,327 36.5 8 2021-22 12731 10,457 28.6 9 2022-23 12376 10,331 28.3 10 2023-24 8581 12349 33.83 11 2024-25 (till Dec’24) 3100 5853 21.28 The status of works taken up under SARDP-NE as on 30 th November, 2024 is as under: Total Length (in km) Length Completed (in km) 5,998 (Original: 6,418) 5,702 The status of works taken up under LWE, including Development of Vijayawada-Ranchi Road, as on 30 th November 2024 is as under: – Total Length (in km) Length Completed (in km) 6,014 5,775 The status of works taken up under EAP [with loan assistance from World Bank/Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA)/Asian Development Bank (ADB)] as on 30 th November, 2024 is as under: – Total Length (in km) Length Completed (in km) 3,105 2,540 The NHs works other than scheme projects are prioritised for development in a phased manner based on the traffic requirement under National Highway (Original) works. At present, works in about 12,500 km NH length are under construction under NH(O). This also includes Bharatmala Projects under which 26,425 km has been awarded and 18,926 km has been completed till 30 th November, 2024. 1.8 Total outstanding liabilities under all schemes of MoRTH is about Rs. 6.48 lakh crore. The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs chaired by the Hon’ble Prime Minister has approved the development of 08 important National High Speed Corridor projects with a Length of 936 km at a cost of Rs. 50,655 crore across the country. Implementation of these 8 projects will generate an estimated 4.42 crore man days of direct and indirect employment. Brief of these projects as are under: O 8-Lane Elevated Nashik Phata – Khed Corridor near Pune 1.11 Asset Monetisation: (i) TOT (Toll Operate and Transfer) Model – Under this model, the right of collection of user fee (toll) in respect of selected operational highways constructed through public funding are assigned through a concession agreement as a result of bidding for a specified period of 15-30 years to the Concessionaire against upfront payment of a lump-sum amount quoted to the Government/NHAI. During the concession period, the responsibility for operations and maintenance of the road assets rests with the Concessionaire. Under this model, NHAI has monetised four TOT Bundle 11,12,13 and 14 and realised Rs. 15,968 crore during the financial year 2023-24 totalling Rs. 42,334 crore, so far. Due to the continuing liquidity stress in the infrastructure sector, the Ministry had received requests from field officers as well as NHBF to continue the relaxations provided in Schedule H/G as provided earlier by Circular COVID-19/RoadMap/JS(H)/2020 dated 4 th May 2023. It was felt desirable and imperative that the Schedule H/G may be amended by the Ministry for all future contracts on a standing basis. Accordingly, the Ministry vide letter number COVID19/RoadMap/JS(H)/2020 dated 11 th October 2024 has amended the Schedule H of the MCA for EPC projects for all future/upcoming projects, to ease the persisting liquidity stress in the highway construction sector. In March 2024, the Ministry has amended the Model Concession Agreement (MCA) for Capacity Augmentation on BOT(Toll) (4 to 6 Lane). This was done to reduce the litigation and to attract more bids in BOT(Toll) projects. The Ministry finalised the Model Concessionaire Agreement (MCA) for the Multi-Modal Logistics Parks (MMLPs) in October 2021 through an elaborate process of Inter-Ministerial consultations. In addition to the MCA, the Ministry, in November 2021, also finalized and approved the Model RFP document of selection of Concessionaire for development of MMLPs. A network of 35 Multimodal Logistics Parks is planned to be developed as part of Bharatmala Pariyojana, with a total investment of about Rs. 46,000 crore, which once operational, shall be able to handle around 700 million metric tonnes of cargo. Of this, MMLPs at 15 prioritised locations will be developed with a total investment of about Rs. 22,000 crore. These MMLPs shall serve as regional cargo aggregation and distribution hubs for various industrial and agricultural nodes, consumer hubs and EXIM gateways such as seaports with multi-modal connectivity. In certain cases, the MMLPs are also being developed in tandem with the Inland Waterway Terminals under the Sagarmala Pariyojana to further reduce the cost of inland cargo movement at a much larger scale as compared to conventional road-based movement. 2.1.1 MMLP Jogighopa (Assam) in Advanced Stage: Execution of enabling development work including road, rail & water connectivity, area development such as site levelling, boundary work, internal road, administrative building, Sewage Treatment Plant, Waste Treatment Plant, etc., is in advance stage. Procurement of developer on PPP basis (Concession Period: 45 years) for construction of logistics facilities such as business center, container yard, warehouses, cold storage, etc., and operations thereof subsequently is in process. The estimated cost of the first phase of the project is Rs. 693.97 crore. The foundation stone of the project was laid in October 2020 by Hon'ble Minister for Road Transport & Highways Shri Nitin Gadkari. This MMLP will serve as the distribution center for all North-Eastern States and facilitate cross-border trade with Bangladesh, Bhutan and Nepal. S. No. MMLP State Location Land (Area) Investment (Rs. Cr.) Mode 1 Jogighopa Assam Jogighopa 190 694 EPC 2 Chennai Tamil Nadu Mappedu 181 1,423 PPP 3 Indore Madhya Pradesh Pithampur 255 1,111 PPP 4 Bangalore Karnataka Dabbaspete 400 1,770 PPP 5 Nagpur Maharashtra Sindi 150 673 PPP 6 Jalna Maharashtra Jalna 63 66 EPC These projects, when completed, will contribute significantly to the growth of India's logistics sector with reduction in carbon emission and strengthen the country's infrastructure. The Bids have been invited for MMLP Anantapur, Pune and Nashik and work of preparation of Feasibility Study Reports is in progress for MMLP at Patna, Jammu, Coimbatore & Hyderabad. India has a total coastline of ~7,500 km across 13 States/Union Territories. There are 227 Ports (13 Major, 214 Non-Major) along the coastline of which 78 ports are operational (12 Major, 66 Non-Major), 11 ports (1 Major, 10 Non-Major) are under implementation and other 138 ports are currently non-operational. Out of 89 operational/under-implementation ports, 64 have sufficient connectivity. MoRTH has planned the development of 108 PCR projects of length 3,700 km. To ensure adequate last-mile connectivity to all the operational/under implementation ports in the country, a comprehensive Port Connectivity Masterplan was developed by MoRTH in consultation with Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways (MoPSW) and Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT). As part of the Masterplan, connectivity requirements of all the operational and under implementation ports were assessed and connectivity projects were identified. 59 additional critical infrastructure projects of length ~1,300 km was finally selected for implementation. These projects will help in improving last- mile required road connectivity to all the operational/under-implementation ports in India providing a boost to economic activities via seamless movement of goods. Post the completion of all the Port Connectivity Projects, all the 89 operational and under-implementation ports in the country shall have sufficient connectivity. Currently 10 projects having about 313 km length has been completed, 26 projects having about 1754 km length are under implementation and Bidding process/DPR is in progress for remaining 72 projects ( 1631 km ). To improve the comfort and convenience of the Highway users, the Ministry has planned the development of state-of-the-art Wayside Amenities (WSA) at about every 40-60 km along the National Highways on PPP mode. These facilities are aimed to provide multiple options of rest and refreshment for the highway commuters during their journey. Some of the mandatory facilities being developed at each WSA are fuel stations, EV charging stations, food court/restaurants, dhabas , convenience stores, clean and hygienic toilet facilities, drinking water, first aid/medical room including childcare room, dedicated area for promoting local artisans, car/bus/truck parking, Trucker facilities like Dhaba's, dormitories, drone landing facilities / helipad, etc. A total of 700+ WSAs were planned to be awarded along the National Highways by FY 2025-26. 322 WSAs have already been awarded of which 162 WSAs were awarded in FY 2023-24. Out of 322 WSAs, 83 sites are operational. These WSAs offer huge opportunities for investors, developers, operators and retailers. All upcoming Greenfield Access-controlled Highway projects are provisioned to have Wayside Amenities. This will also promote local economy by generating employment opportunities and help local people to market their unique produces/handicrafts, etc., at village haats developed at these places. Ministry has Development Programme – Parvatmala Pariyojana across the country to improve connectivity & convenience for commuters in hilly regions and to decongest urban areas where conventional mode of transport is saturated or not feasible. Under this programme, the Ministry envisages provision of safe, economical, convenient, efficient, self-sustainable & world-class ropeway infrastructure providing first & last mile connectivity to improve logistics efficiency in India. Under Parvatmala Pariyojana, ropeway projects of ~60 km length are planned for award by FY 2023-24. Out of these, Ropeway at Varanasi (Uttar Pradesh) of 3.85 km is under construction. Additionally, 05 ropeway projects of 8.23 km length are awarded, viz., Bijli Mahadev (Himachal Pradesh), Dhosi Hill (Haryana), Mahakaleshwar Temple (Madhya Pradesh), Sangam (Uttar Pradesh) and Shankaracharya Temple (Jammu and Kashmir). Bids for 10 projects of 53.35 km length have been invited viz. Sangam (Uttar Pradesh), Shankaracharya Temple (Jammu and Kashmir), Sonprayag – Kedarnath (Uttarakhand), Govindghat – Hemkund Sahib (Uttarakhand), Kamakhya Temple (Assam), Tawang Monastery – P T Tso Lake (Arunachal Pradesh), Kathgodam – Hanuman Garhi Temple, Nainital (Uttarakhand), Tikitoriya Mata Temple (Madhya Pradesh), Ramtek Gad Temple (Maharashtra) and Brahmagiri to Anjaneri (Maharashtra). Detailed Feasibility Study is in progress for additional 12 projects of 52 km length for further assessment. In addition, Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) have been signed with 13 States/UTs, viz., Uttar Pradesh, Andhra Pradesh, Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Assam, Tripura, Nagaland, Arunachal Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Haryana, Karnataka and Maharashtra for implementation of ropeway projects under Parvatmala Pariyojana in coordination with State Government/UT Administration. 3.1.1 11 th March 2024 at Gurugram, Haryana – National Highways projects worth more than Rs. 1 lakh crore for different States. (i) Inauguration: Rs. 2,950 crore in the state of Andhra Pradesh; (ii) Foundation Stone: 3.1.2 10 th March 2024 at Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh – dedicated to the nation and laid the foundation stone of several road projects worth more than Rs. 19,000 crore which include- i. Inauguration: Three packages of four lane Lucknow Ring Road and six laning of Chakeri to Allahabad Section of NH-2; ii. Foundation Stone: 3.1.3 9th March, 2024 at Siliguri – inauguration of two road projects – four-laning of Ghoshpukur – Dhupguri Section of NH 27 and four-lane Islampur Bypass – worth more than Rs 3,000 crore. 3.1.4 6th March, 2024 at Betia, Bihar – inauguration of two-laning of Piprakothi – Motihari – Raxaul section of NH-28A with paved shoulder Raxaul section of NH-28A with paved shoulder. Laid the foundation stone of the six-lane Cable Bridge across river Ganga one of the longest river bridges in the country. i. Inauguration: paved shoulders in Telangana ii. Foundation Stone: 3.1.6 5 th March 2024 at Chandikhole, Odisha – inauguration and laying of the foundation stone for three National Highway projects which include: i. Inauguration: 3.1.7 2nd March, 2024 at Aurangabad, Bihar – National Highway projects worth more than Rs.18,100 crore (including following important projects) (i) Inauguration: (ii) Foundation Stone: 54 km long four-lane access-controlled Greenfield National Highway from Shivrampur to Ramnagar, 3.1.8 2nd March, 2024 at Krishnanagar, West Bengal: inauguration of the road project for four laning of Farakka-Raiganj Section of NH-12 (100 KM), developed at a cost of about Rs.1,986 crore. Airport to Dhargal on NH-166S in Goa: Hon’ble Minister for Road Transport and Highways dedicated to the nation a 6-Lane access-controlled 7 km road project with elevated viaducts from Manohar International Airport to Dhargal on NH-166S in Goa costing Rs.1183 crore. This development is expected to enhance tourism activities and provide a boost to multi-modal connectivity, thereby reducing logistics costs. The Ministry is responsible for the formulation of broad policies relating to regulation of road transport in the country, besides making/monitoring arrangements for vehicular traffic to and from neighbouring countries. The following Acts/Rules, which embody the policy relating to motor vehicles and State Road Transport Corporations (SRTCs), are being administered by the Ministry: Motor Vehicles Act, 1988 Central Motor Vehicles Rules, 1989 Road Transport Corporations Act, 1950 Carriage by Road Act, 2007 Carriage by Road Rules, 2011 i.e., during remaining period of 15 th Finance Commission Cycle). The total outlay of the Scheme is estimated to be Rs.175 Crore from Ministry. Previous Scheme had fund of share of 50% by Ministry but the revamped scheme has fund share of 70% by Ministry and remaining 30% will be contributed by respective Transport Bodies. One of the key IT initiatives by the MoRTH to modernize transport sector management and operations is the e-Transport Mission Mode Project. This comprehensive digital platform, developed with technical support from NIC, enables all transport-related services through a centralized, web-based system that operates nationwide. It has significantly transformed the service delivery mechanisms for various transport activities, including vehicle registration, driving licenses, taxation, fitness, permits, and enforcement. This project has automated operations and transformed 200+ citizen/trade-centric Transport services into Faceless/Contactless mode leveraging advanced technologies like, Aadhaar Authentication, eKYC, eSign/DSC, Artificial Intelligence – AI based Facial Recognition, and GPS location capture. The launch of these Faceless Services is a quantum leap in the transport system. E-Transport project encompasses an extensive array of Government-to Government (G-G), Government-to-Business (G-B), and Government-to-Citizen (G-C) services, benefiting many stakeholders e.g. citizens, vehicle manufacturers, dealers, transporters, banks, insurance companies, security agencies, enforcement agencies as well as various state/central government departments and their applications. To facilitate seamless transfer of vehicles across states and eliminates the need for assigning a new registration mark during interstate owner transfers, a provision for “Bharat series (BH series)” is provided as per Gazette Notification G.S.R. – 294 (E) issued by Ministry of Road Transport & Highways. NIC has incorporated the needful changes in the Dealer point module and facility has been provided to 27 States for Central issuance of BH series number from the portal. AITP, developed by NIC under MoRTH Gazette notification G.S.R. 302(E), allows tourist vehicle operators to transport tourists and their luggage across India. The "All India Tourist Permit" (AITP) is a permit issued by the Transport Authority, authorising tourist vehicle operators or owners to transport tourists, either individually or in groups, along with their personal luggage throughout India, upon payment of the permit fee. This initiative simplifies interstate travel, enhancing mobility and supporting the tourism sector by eliminating the need for multiple permits. In e-Transport Project, faceless services have been introduced to ensure an efficient and fully digital approach in delivering various transport-related services to citizens through Vahan and Sarathi. It enables citizens to avail it in a completely online, contactless manner, from the comfort of their homes. Both MoRTH and NIC have transitioned the existing transport services to a faceless mode, employing advanced technologies such as Aadhaar authentication, eKYC, AI-based face recognition, e-Sign, and other business process transformations. Currently, more than 90 transport services are completely Contactless. However, implementation varies from state to state. NextGen mParivahan serves as the mobile extension of Vahan, Sarathi, and other e-Transport components, available on Android and iOS platforms. It offers citizens access to 75+ online services/utilities for driving licenses, vehicle registration, taxation, fitness, permits, and other transport-related needs. Integrated with Vahan, Sarathi, e-Challan, and other repositories, it facilitates seamless data exchange. With over 11.55 crore app downloads, it's one of the most popular government apps. Following are the services and utilities incorporated in the app. 4.3.5 Scheme for providing Cashless Treatment to the victims of road accidents caused due to motor vehicles In line with its commitment to reduce fatalities due to road accidents and the legal mandate under section 162 of the Motor Vehicles Act, 1988, Government is formulating a scheme to provide cashless treatment to the victims of road accidents caused by the use of motor vehicles. Key features of the scheme are as under: Ministry of Road Transport and Highways has approved a scheme (on 15 th January, 2020) for implementation of “Development, Customization, Deployment and Management of State-wise vehicle tracking platform for Safety & Enforcement as per AIS 140 Specifications in States / UTs under Nirbhaya Framework” at total estimated cost of Rs. 463.90 crore (including Central and State share, as per Nirbhaya Framework). The proposed system envisages enhancing the safety of women and girl children by establishing Monitoring Centers across States/UTs, which shall track all the Public Service Vehicles (PSV) that are fitted with location tracking device and emergency buttons for raising an alert in case of emergency. The Monitoring Centre will monitor the alerts and coordinate with State Emergency Response Support System (SERSS) for responding to distress calls. MoRTH had earlier issued a notification dated 28 th November, 2016, wherein Vehicle Location Tracking (VLT) device and emergency buttons were mandated to be fitted in all public service vehicles. Further, the responsibility of fitting VLT device and emergency buttons lies with the vehicle owner, and this scheme shall finance only the setting up of Monitoring Centre in each State/UT for the tracking of PSVs. MoRTH has received proposals from thirty-five States/UTs, namely, Chhattisgarh, Nagaland, Himachal Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Jammu & Kashmir, Ladakh, Andaman & Nicobar, Bihar, West Bengal, Sikkim, Chandigarh, Karnataka, Punjab, Odisha, Kerala, Meghalaya, Assam, Puducherry, Jharkhand, Manipur, Uttarakhand, Goa, Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Arunachal Pradesh, Daman & Diu and Dadar & Nagar Haveli, Rajasthan, Mizoram, Tripura, Andhra Pradesh, Delhi, Haryana, Gujarat, Tamil Nadu and Lakshadweep. The Ministry has released the funds amounting to Rs. 220.11 crore. MoRTH has been closely monitoring the implementation of this scheme. Periodic reviews are being done with the State representatives and other stakeholders. So far, thirty-three States have received the funds and out of which fourteen States, namely Bihar, Himachal Pradesh, Puducherry, Uttarakhand, Chhattisgarh, Mizoram, Sikkim, West-Bengal, Andaman, Odisha, Chandigarh, Kerala, Karnataka and Arunachal Pradesh have already set up the monitoring centres. More States/UTs are in the advanced stages of commissioning the Monitoring Centres. 5.1. The Voluntary Vehicle-Fleet Modernization Program (V-VMP) or “Vehicle Scrapping Policy” was launched by Hon’ble Prime Minister on 13th August, 2021. It is aimed at creating an ecosystem for phasing out of unfit and polluting vehicles in an eco-friendly manner. To enable successful implementation of this policy, a network of Registered Vehicle Scrapping Facilities (RVSFs) for environmentally friendly, safe, and scientific scrapping of vehicles is required to be set up across India. Additionally, a network of Automated Testing Stations (ATSs) is required for improved transparency and objectivity in fitness testing of vehicles. The policy targets voluntary scrapping of unfit commercial and private vehicles. RVSF was developed by the National Informatics Centre (NIC) under MoRTH Gazette notification GSR 653(E). This application facilitates motor vehicle owners in efficiently phasing out old and unfit vehicles with high emissions, thereby mitigating the deterioration of air quality. The primary objective of this application is to remove polluting vehicles from running on the roads and subsequently lower the country’s carbon footprint. All applications and processes for vehicle scrapping have been made online and time-bound for vehicles registered on the Vahan portal. Total States that have implemented AFMS till date are 36. 5.3 Citizen Centric Initiatives: 5.3.1 The policy focuses on citizen centricity by allowing vehicles registered in any State to be fitness tested / scrapped at any ATS / RVSF in the country. A citizen receives a Certificate of Deposit (CD) issued only by RVSFs on scrapping their vehicles. To incentivize vehicles owners to scrap their vehicles at RVSFs, various incentives are provided by Government and Auto OEMs on new vehicles purchased against CDs: 5.3.2 In addition to the above financial incentives, there are a lot of non-financial incentives including: M&HCVs. Similarly, emissions from a BS I and BS II M&HCV are equivalent to ~7 BS VI M&HCVs and ~6 BS VI M&HCVs respectively. 5.3.3 Further, to disincentivize vehicle owners from using older vehicles, MoRTH has increased fees for registration, fitness certificate issuance and fitness testing of older vehicles vide MoRTH GSR 714 (E). For citizen convenience and seamless experience to users, a digital infrastructure has been created on the Vahan portal for V-VMP to facilitate scrapping of end-of-life vehicles and fitness testing. End-to-end digitisation of citizen journey of scrapping and vehicle fitness testing through Vahan modules (AFMS and Vscrap) from booking appointment, submitting application, and issuing applicable certificates (e.g., certificate of deposit on scrapping, fitness test report and certificate) Fully integrated portals with Vahan database enabling dynamic updation of records like vehicle scrapping status and fitness test results on real-time in respective national databases, eliminating additional manual interventions for citizen. Citizen incentives linked to CD are configured across relevant state department portals to ensure seamless disbursement of benefits such as MV Tax concession and waiver of registration fee at all touchpoints. Citizen awareness campaign has also been launched for vehicle owners to be informed of policy benefits. 5.4 Investment promotion and ease of doing business: 5.5 Digital dashboards and data for compliance tracking: 5.6 Financial incentives to State Governments to expedite policy implementation: 5.7 Current Policy Implementation Status: 5.7.1 Vehicle Scrapping (As on 16.12.2024): v. Government vehicles contribute more than 50% of scrapped vehicles till date since we provided an initial impetus to the established RVSF infrastructure (supply-side ecosystem) by mandatory scrapping of Government vehicles older than 15 years. vi. Monthly volume of Government owned vehicles scrapped is ~5,000 for FY24-25 YTD which is 155% more than last year (3,177 monthly avg. scrapping volume in FY23-24). vii. For non-Government owned vehicles, while more initiatives to boost scrapping volume (demand-side initiatives) needs to be done, there has been a significant growth in scrapping volume. viii. Monthly volume of non-Government owned vehicles scrapped is ~5,500 for FY24-25 YTD which is 270% more than last year (2,077 monthly avg. scrapping volume in FY2324). 5.7.2 Vehicle Fitness Testing (As on 16.12.2024): 6.1 Identification and Rectification of Accident Blackspots: High priority is accorded to identification and rectification of blackspots (accidents prone spots) on National Highways. Concerted efforts towards improvement of road safety through engineering measures on National Highways have been made. A total of 13,795 black spots have been identified on the NHs, out of which short-term rectification measures have been completed on 9,525 black spots and permanent rectification have been completed on 4,777 black spots. Rectification of the identified blackspots is in progress. Besides, rectification measures are also taken on the accident spots reported on eDAR portal on priority. The Ministry is taking following steps to rectify the black spots: Emergency/medical facilities for the road accident victims are provided as per the respective contract/concession agreements signed between NHAI and the contractor/concessionaire. Ministry has taken various initiatives to make vehicles safer, including the following: For all M and N category vehicles: 7.1 BhoomiRashi Portal: The Ministry of Road Transport and Highways has launched BhoomiRashi Portal to digitize the land acquisition notification process to accelerate highways infrastructure development projects and payment to compensation for land acquisition. The portal has been made mandatory for processing all the land acquisition proposals w.e.f. 1st April, 2018. The Portal has made land acquisition process faster and error-free. It has greatly reduced the time period for publication of notifications and brought in efficiency as well as transparency in the whole process. 7.2. The key objectives of avoiding parking of funds in bank accounts and ensuring transparent real time deposit of funds in the account of the individuals whose land/property were acquired have successfully been achieved by integrating the payment of compensation with the BhoomiRashi Portal via Public, Finance Management System (PFMS). This initiative of MoRTH has resulted in a more robust and efficient land acquisition for road construction in the country. The Ministry has also organized workshops and training programmes across the country to make the field offices familiar to the latest updates in BhoomiRashi Portal and new development in LA process. A total of 16,622 notifications under section 3 of National Highways Act, 1956 have been published and around 1,47,320.11 hectare of land has been acquired under section 3-D of the Act through BhoomiRashi Portal from 1st April, 2018 to 30th November, 2024. 8.1. Safety Requirements for Electric Power Train Construction Equipment Vehicles: MoRTH vide G.S.R. 721(E) inserted rule 125-O in Central Motor Vehicles Rules (CMVR), 1989 regarding Safety Requirements for Electric Power Train Construction Equipment Vehicles and mandated that On and after 1 st day of January, 2025, Construction Equipment Vehicles fitted with Electric Power Train shall meet requirements as specified in AIS-174, till the corresponding BIS specifications are notified under the Bureau of Indian Standard Act, 2016 (11 of 2016). The Ministry has issued GSR 709(E) dated the 14th November, 2024 (amending rule 62 of the Central Motor Vehicles Rules, 1989) which provides for extension of date for mandatory testing of Transport Vehicles through an Automated Testing Station, registered in accordance with rule 175 of the Central Motor Vehicle Rules 1989 to 01st April 2025. The BRICS is a forum for cooperation among a group of leading emerging economies. Transport plays a crucial role in driving economy’s growth and offers opportunities, facilitating trade and investment as well as importance of keeping supply chains open, safe, secure, transparent and resilient for improving connectivity across BRICS area. BRICS Transport Ministers' Meeting was held in June, 2024 in St. Petersburg, Russia on the margins of the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum (the SPIEF). MoRTH delegation, led by Secretary (RT&H), attended the meeting. The second meeting of the Russian-Indian Working Group on Roads and Intelligent Transport Systems was held in Moscow, Russia on 24 th September 2024. The meeting was chaired jointly by Secretary, Ministry of Road Transport & Highways, Government of India, and State Secretary & Deputy Minister of Road Transport of the Russian Federation. Two sides discussed ways to facilitate the exchange and sharing of the information in the areas of improving technologies and materials in road and bridge construction and promote joint research in these fields. Opportunities to develop mutual investments in highways and transport infrastructure related programs/projects, was also discussed. ******* GDH/THR