<p>The National Highway Authority of India (NHAI) is building wayside amenities at more than 600 locations along the National Highways which will include setting up helipads and drone landing facilities.</p>.<p>Basic facilities like toilets, parking, restaurants, dormitories for truckers, electric vehicle charging and trauma centres are also on the cards, Union Road Transport Minister Nitin Gadkari said.</p>.<p>There will also be retail outlets for promoting handicrafts and locally-manufactured products. Some wayside amenities will also have helipads and drone landing facilities to deal with medical emergencies like road accidents and organ transplants, he said.</p>.<p>He added that logistics cost in India is higher at 13-14 per cent of GDP compared to 8-9 per cent in other developed economies, such as the US. The PM Gati Shakti National Master Plan (NMP) is a very big initiative and it will help us reduce logistics costs, Gadkari said.</p>.<p>“Higher logistics cost reduces the competitiveness of 'Made in India' products in global markets. Reducing logistics costs to 9% of GDP is at the top of the government's agenda," the minister emphasised.</p>.<p><strong>Also Read | <a href="https://www.deccanherald.com/national/construction-of-national-highways-at-10331-km-in-2022-23-1212591.html" target="_blank">Construction of national highways at 10,331 km in 2022-23</a></strong></p>.<p>The construction of National Highways in 2022-23 was 10,331 km, falling 21% short of the government’s target of 12,500 km, according to the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways' latest data.</p>.<p>The ministry awarded NH projects of 12,376 km in length in the last financial year.</p>.<p>The ministry said it had constructed 10,237 km in 2019-20, 13,327 km in 2020-21 and 10,457 km in 2021-22.</p>.<p>Bharatmala Pariyojana is India's largest infrastructure programme to develop about 35,000 km of National Highway corridors, connecting over 580 districts in the nation.</p>.<p>'Bharatmala 2' is the Indian government's ambitious project of building over 5,000 km of expressways and highways at the cost of almost Rs 3 trillion. Gadkari recently said, " India's highways will be on par with that of the US by 2024."</p>
<p>The National Highway Authority of India (NHAI) is building wayside amenities at more than 600 locations along the National Highways which will include setting up helipads and drone landing facilities.</p>.<p>Basic facilities like toilets, parking, restaurants, dormitories for truckers, electric vehicle charging and trauma centres are also on the cards, Union Road Transport Minister Nitin Gadkari said.</p>.<p>There will also be retail outlets for promoting handicrafts and locally-manufactured products. Some wayside amenities will also have helipads and drone landing facilities to deal with medical emergencies like road accidents and organ transplants, he said.</p>.<p>He added that logistics cost in India is higher at 13-14 per cent of GDP compared to 8-9 per cent in other developed economies, such as the US. The PM Gati Shakti National Master Plan (NMP) is a very big initiative and it will help us reduce logistics costs, Gadkari said.</p>.<p>“Higher logistics cost reduces the competitiveness of 'Made in India' products in global markets. Reducing logistics costs to 9% of GDP is at the top of the government's agenda," the minister emphasised.</p>.<p><strong>Also Read | <a href="https://www.deccanherald.com/national/construction-of-national-highways-at-10331-km-in-2022-23-1212591.html" target="_blank">Construction of national highways at 10,331 km in 2022-23</a></strong></p>.<p>The construction of National Highways in 2022-23 was 10,331 km, falling 21% short of the government’s target of 12,500 km, according to the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways' latest data.</p>.<p>The ministry awarded NH projects of 12,376 km in length in the last financial year.</p>.<p>The ministry said it had constructed 10,237 km in 2019-20, 13,327 km in 2020-21 and 10,457 km in 2021-22.</p>.<p>Bharatmala Pariyojana is India's largest infrastructure programme to develop about 35,000 km of National Highway corridors, connecting over 580 districts in the nation.</p>.<p>'Bharatmala 2' is the Indian government's ambitious project of building over 5,000 km of expressways and highways at the cost of almost Rs 3 trillion. Gadkari recently said, " India's highways will be on par with that of the US by 2024."</p>
