NEW DELHI: The Union Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA), chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, on Tuesday approved two major infrastructure projects, one in Odisha and another in Rajasthan, with a cumulative estimated cost of over Rs 9,500 crore.Briefing the media after the CCEA meeting, Information and Broadcasting Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw said the construction of a six-lane access-controlled Capital Region Ring Road (Bhubaneswar Bypass) in Odisha with an estimated cost of ₹8,307.74 crore, has been approved.Approval has also been given for the construction of the greenfield Kota-Bundi airport in Rajasthan with a total estimated capital investment of Rs 1,507 crore, he added.The Minister said the length of the ring road project for the twin capital cities of Bhubaneswar and Cuttack would be 110.875 km and it would be developed under the Hybrid Annuity Mode (HAM).“At present, the Rameshwar-Tangi stretch of the existing National Highway faces severe congestion due to heavy traffic moving through urban centres like Khordha, Bhubaneswar, and Cuttack. The new greenfield ring road aims to divert heavy commercial vehicles away from these cities, thereby improving freight efficiency, reducing logistics costs, and promoting socio-economic development in Odisha and neighbouring eastern states,” Vaishnaw said.The alignment will integrate with three National Highways (NH-55, NH-57, NH-655) and one State Highway (SH-65), offering seamless connectivity to economic and social hubs across the region, he said.“It will also connect with 10 Economic Nodes, 4 Social Nodes, and 5 Logistic Nodes, along with key infrastructure such as Bhubaneswar Airport, Khordha Railway Station, a proposed Multi-Modal Logistics Park, and two major ports (Puri and Astrang),” the Minister said.Later, in a statement, the government said that upon completion, the project is expected to generate 74.43 lakh person-days of direct employment and 93.04 lakh person-days of indirect employment, thereby creating new opportunities for local communities.
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