Bharatmala Pariyojana Programme
Background
- In the year 2000, the government launched the National Highways Development Programme (NHDP).
- It aimed to upgrade and widen 13,150 km of highways through 7 phases.
- But by 2017, it became clear that India’s economy and logistics required a bigger, more integrated highway programme.
- Thus, in 2017, the Bharatmala Pariyojana was launched as an umbrella programme to reorganize and expand highway development on a corridor-based approach.
Purpose and Tenure
- Purpose: To optimize freight and passenger movement efficiency across India by bridging critical infrastructure gaps.
- Duration: Initially aimed to finish by 2022, but extended till 2027–28.
Implementing Agencies
- NHAI (National Highways Authority of India)
- NHIDCL (National Highways and Infrastructure Development Corporation Limited)
- State PWDs and State Road Development Corporations
Monitoring is done by the Public Investment Board (PIB), which reviews progress every six months to prevent cost and time overruns.
Approach
Unlike NHDP’s package-based approach, Bharatmala adopts a corridor approach:
- It focuses on developing Economic Corridors, National Corridors, and Feeder Routes in an integrated way.
- This ensures seamless connectivity, not just scattered projects.
Focus areas:
- Better use of existing infrastructure.
- Multi-modal integration (linking roads with railways, ports, airports).
- Filling connectivity gaps.
- Linking National and Economic Corridors for efficiency.
Salient Features
- Funding: Mostly Central Government, mobilised by the Ministry of Road Transport & Highways (MoRTH).
- Grand Challenge Mechanism:
- If States make land available quickly, projects can be taken up on fast-track.
- 10% funds earmarked for this.
- Each State can propose 2 stretches of up to 100 km in a financial year.
- Cost Sharing: Projects outside Bharatmala Phase-I can only be taken if States pay 50% of land acquisition cost.
- PPP Promotion: Monetisation of roads built under EPC (Engineering, Procurement, Construction) route through the Toll-Operate-Transfer (ToT) model.
Additional Measures
- Resolution of Blackspots:
5,785 accident-prone blackspots identified for removal. - Greenfield alignments: New roads to be built avoiding populated areas, cutting land costs.
- Wayside amenities: Rest stops and cargo facilities every half hour.
- Access-controlled expressways: Pay-per-use tolling with closed tolling systems.
Digital & Monitoring Systems
To bring transparency and speed, multiple online platforms are integrated:
- PMIS (Project Monitoring Information System) → for real-time tracking.
- Bhoomi Raashi → land acquisition notifications online.
- BIMS (Bidder Information Management System) → central database for bidders.
- Lakshya → performance monitoring system of NHAI officers.
- ERP System → integrates MoRTH, NHAI, and NHIDCL functions.
Big Picture
Bharatmala is not just a road project; it is India’s strategic highway revolution.
- It integrates economic needs (freight movement), social needs (passenger convenience), and strategic needs (border roads).
- It combines funding innovation (ToT, PPP) with digital monitoring.
- It shifts focus from simply building roads to creating a national highway network that boosts trade, tourism, security, and connectivity in one sweep.
📌 In UPSC terms: Bharatmala represents the second generation of highway reforms, just as NHDP was the first.