The first phase of the four-lane Golden Quadrilateral highway, connecting all the four corners of the country, is scheduled to be completed by the end of 2004, Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways B C Khanduri said in Nagpur on Tuesday.
"The Centre would be spending Rs 25,050 crore (Rs 250.50 billion) for the completion of the prestigious project," Khanduri told reporters.
He said the target of completing the Golden Quadrilateral had been set for 2004, while for the north-east corridor it was 2007.
The Centre is facing a few problems like land acquisition, Khanduri said, adding that about 87 per cent land required in Tamil Nadu and 50 per cent in Maharashtra could not be acquired till now for the road construction.
Law and order was another problem, which was plaguing the central authorities since in some states, particularly in Bihar, the road-laying personnel were facing threat from certain elements, he said.
The north-east corridor would be stretched to 14,000 km and work on approximately 800 km has been done. Under the prime minister's Gram Sadak Yojna, the Centre was allotting Rs 2,500 crore annually to the respective states.
Khanduri said everyday a stretch of 12 km road was being laid in the country, which would continue till 2007. There were 2.5 lakh labourers engaged and over 10,000 technical personnel, including supervisors overseeing the work.