Nath seeks Rs3,400-crore from finance ministry for road repairs

The ministry of road transport and highways has sought Rs3,400 crore from the finance ministry for undertaking repairs of roads damaged due to unprecedented rains and landslides in different parts of the country.

CNBC-TV18 quoted minister for road transport and highways Kamal Nath as saying that a total amount, Rs1,000 crore had been sought for the overall maintenance and Rs1,650 crore for construction of roads other than those covered under national highways development project.

The ministry, meanwhile, is still short of meeting its target of 20 km of roads a day against which it has achieved an average of 12.3 km per day and hopes to reach the 20 km mark in a year.

On toll booths, Nath said, "We have accepted toll and technology which is going to be radio-frequency identification (RFID)-based. There will be a chip, which will have other data as well, as time moves on. So it will serve many purposes, it will be like chargeable SIM card, it will be recognised at toll booths."

The government will soon make it mandatory for all vehicles to carry radio frequency identification (RFID) cards that will be used to make road toll payments, Nath said.
"Within 18 months we will ensure that RFID is being installed in every vehicle. It will be like a chip that you use for mobile phone. You charge it with whatever amount you want and make the payment when required," Nath said. He was speaking at the annual Economic Editors' Conference in New Delhi.

Nath said that initially, each card would cost Rs70 and with large-scale use price may go down to Rs50.