The Golden Quadrilateral

When I look at the Indian road network, my heart is filled with pride. Separated by the divider with plants and flowers, cruising on a six-lane highway is an experience in itself. The fact that we are edging closer to the US which incidentally has the largest road network is no mean achievement.

Way back in 1999, the NHAI came into existence under the watch and ward of Prime Minister Atul Bihari Vajpayee. A dream project ‘The Golden Quadrilateral‘ was envisioned. The mandate was to connect the four major cities of India. Namely, Delhi in the North, Kolkata in the West, Chennai towards the South, and Mumbai covering the West.

Major General B C Kanduri, an army veteran and the minister for roads and highways was entrusted with the job. One of the most dynamic and result-oriented ministers, Khanduri set about the task of four-laning 5700 km of the national highway. A stickler for deadlines, he raised money for the gargantuan project never attempted before - 54,000 crores from multilateral aid, fuel-cess, and marketing borrowings.

The project was planned in 1999, started in 2001, and finally completed in 2012. Measuring 5,846 kilometers in length, it is the largest highway project in India and the fifth largest one in the world. The highway consists of four-lane and six-lane expressways and the total estimated cost of construction was around USD 8.4 billion.

Major General Khanduri provided an excellent platform for the likes of Nitin Gadkari to further build on it. If somebody should be credited for introducing the "genuine highway concept", it is Major General Khanduri.

Thank you, General Saab.

Photo - Times of India

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