Bhopal, June 3 (IANS) Union Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal on Wednesday held detailed discussions with Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Mohan Yadav in New Delhi on boosting industrial growth, investment, and employment generation in the state, as the Centre simultaneously approved a major Rs 4,415.60-crore highway development project aimed at accelerating economic activity across tribal-dominated districts of Madhya Pradesh.

Sharing details of the meeting, Goyal said Madhya Pradesh is emerging as one of India’s leading investment destinations due to its industry-friendly policies, improved infrastructure, and investment-conducive environment.

“During my meeting with Chief Minister Mohan Yadav in Delhi today, we held extensive discussions on industry, investment, and employment generation in the state,” Goyal wrote on X.

The development comes on a day when the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA), chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, approved the upgradation and widening of key stretches of National Highway-347B in Madhya Pradesh under the Hybrid Annuity Mode (HAM).

The project includes upgrading the 125.01-km Hiwarkhedi–Roshni–Ashapur–Rudhy section to a two-lane road with paved shoulders, and widening the 108.643-km Deshgaon–Julwania section from two to four lanes. The total corridor length is 233.653 km, connecting Betul, Khandwa, Khargone, and Barwani districts and forming a crucial part of the Betul–Khandwa–Vadodara route.

According to the government, the project will address sharp curves, geometric deficiencies, and traffic congestion in built-up areas. A 16.20-km Greenfield bypass around Khargone will also be developed as part of the initiative.

Officials said the upgraded highway will significantly improve travel speed, reduce journey time, enhance road safety, and lower fuel consumption and vehicle operating costs, thereby boosting regional connectivity and socio-economic development.

The corridor will provide seamless connectivity to major economic, social, and logistics hubs. It will link six PM Gati Shakti economic nodes, including a textile cluster, two mega food parks, an industrial park, and two super thermal power plants.

The highway will also connect five key social nodes, including the aspirational districts of Khandwa and Barwani, and the tribal districts of Betul, Khandwa, and Khargone.

In addition, the project will improve access to major transport infrastructure, including Indore and Nagpur airports, Betul and Khandwa railway stations, and the Multi Modal Logistics Park (MMLP) at Indore.

The project includes bypasses measuring 70.39 km on the Hiwarkhedi–Roshni–Ashapur–Rudhy section and 54.273 km on the Deshgaon–Julwania stretch. It will connect major national highways, including NH-47, NH-753, NH-347BG, and NH-52, as well as State Highway-15 and several major district roads.

The Centre estimates that the project will generate around 19.50 lakh person-days of direct employment during its construction phase, while also creating substantial indirect employment opportunities.

Welcoming the approval, Chief Minister Mohan Yadav said the project reflects the accelerated pace of development under the “double-engine government” of the Centre and the state.

“Development is progressing at double speed under the double-engine government. The approval of the Rs 4,415.60-crore road project will accelerate growth in tribal-majority districts such as Betul, Khandwa, Khargone, and Barwani and create employment opportunities for thousands of people,” Yadav said in a statement.

The Chief Minister expressed gratitude to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Road Transport and Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari for approving what he described as a transformative infrastructure project for Madhya Pradesh.

The highway project is expected to strengthen industrial connectivity, improve logistics efficiency, and support the state’s broader strategy of attracting investment and generating jobs, themes that figured prominently in discussions between Piyush Goyal and Chief Minister Mohan Yadav earlier in the day.

–IANS

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