Jaipur: Rajasthan has completed 96% of the highway network awarded under the Centre’s Bharatmala Pariyojana Phase I, emerging as one of the best-performing states in project execution, according to data tabled in the Lok Sabha.Replying to a question by Churu MP Rahul Kaswan on July 23, Union road transport and highways minister Nitin Gadkari said 2,264 km of the 2,360 km of highways awarded in Rajasthan were completed, with only 96 km remaining under construction.Nationally, 22,709 km of the 26,425 km of highways awarded under Bharatmala Phase I were completed. The programme, approved in 2017, aims to develop 34,800 km of highways at an estimated cost of Rs 5.35 lakh crore.Among states with the highest highway length awarded under Bharatmala Phase I, Uttar Pradesh tops the list with 2,495 km, followed by Rajasthan (2,360 km), Maharashtra (2,174 km), Madhya Pradesh (2,017 km) and Andhra Pradesh (1,936 km). Rajasthan leads in execution with 96% of the sanctioned network completed, ahead of Uttar Pradesh (2,196 km), Maharashtra (2,000 km), Madhya Pradesh (1,826 km) and Andhra Pradesh (1,554 km).The state has also recorded a rise in fresh highway approvals. In 2025-26, the Centre sanctioned 508 km of national highway projects worth Rs 9,222 crore, compared with 238 km worth Rs 3,154 crore in 2024-25 and 77 km costing Rs 859 crore in 2023-24.Apart from Bharatmala projects, 36 national highway projects covering 600.8 km are currently under construction in Rajasthan. Over the past three years, 63 projects spanning 2,178 km were completed in the state.The Centre also cited an impact assessment by the Indian Institute of Management, Bengaluru, which found that Bharatmala has reduced logistics costs, improved access to markets, shortened travel time to schools and hospitals, and contributed to higher household incomes and economic activity.Kaswan said that while investment under Bharatmala exceeded Rs 5.35 lakh crore, several highway stretches in Rajasthan, including Jaipur-Sikar, Jaipur-Kishangarh and Jaipur-Kota, were already operating beyond their designed capacity, leading to congestion and accidents. He said highway expansion should be planned in advance rather than after roads become saturated.The ministry said delays in some projects continue because of land acquisition issues, forest and environmental clearances, utility shifting, encroachments, shortage of construction material and poor contractor performance. It added that land acquisition has been digitised through the Bhoomi Rashi portal, environmental clearances streamlined through the Parivesh portal, and project monitoring strengthened through the Prime Minister’s PRAGATI platform and the Project Monitoring Group.
