DW BUREAU / Chandigarh Punjab Government has urged the Center for expeditious approval of new National Highway Projects. State PWD Minister Harbhajan Singh called on the Union Road Transport and Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari in New Delhi today and presented a roadmap to make Punjab the leading State in Road Infrastructure in India. Punjab Cabinet Minister made an impassioned appeal for declaration of 9 major Roads as National Highways including Banga-Garhshankar-Anandpur Sahib-Naina Devi road; Nawanshahr-Rahon-Macchiwara-Samrala road and Gurdaspur-Mukerian-Talwara road. Keeping the problems of villagers in mind and also to facilitate easy access to farmers, he also urged the Union Minister to construct Service Roads along the newly proposed Expressways in Punjab. Principal Secretary, PWD (B&R) Vikas Pratap, who accompanied the Minister for this meeting, informed that Punjab has also requested for increase of annual accrual of Central Road and Infrastructure Fund to Rs.300 Cr. He further informed that State Government is going to submit it's Annual Action Plan for 2022-23 for approval to the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways comprising of Projects worth Rs.3300 Cr. These Projects include bypasses to towns like Kapurthala, Ferozepur, Sri Muktsar Sahib; four-laning of congested roads in the State; new Railway over bridges and High-level bridges. (editor@dailyworld.in)