MP highway project worth Rs4,415 crore gets cabinet nod

The Centre has approved a Rs4,415.60-crore highway development project in Madhya Pradesh, a move expected to boost connectivity, industrial growth and employment generation across several tribal-dominated districts of the state.The approval came on a day when Union Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal held discussions with Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Mohan Yadav in New Delhi on promoting investment, industrial expansion and job creation in the state.
Sharing details of the meeting, Goyal said Madhya Pradesh is emerging as a preferred investment destination due to its industry-friendly policies, improving infrastructure and business-friendly 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 said in a post on X.
The infrastructure project was approved by the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA), chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. It involves the upgradation of key stretches of National Highway-347B under the Hybrid Annuity Mode (HAM).The project includes the development of the 125-km Hiwarkhedi-Roshni-Ashapur-Rudhy section into a two-lane highway with paved shoulders and the widening of the 109-km Deshgaon-Julwania stretch from two lanes to four lanes. The total corridor length will span 233.65 km, connecting the districts of Betul, Khandwa, Khargone and Barwani.
According to the government, the project will improve road geometry, ease traffic congestion and enhance safety. A 16.2-km Greenfield bypass around Khargone will also be constructed as part of the initiative.Officials said the upgraded corridor will reduce travel time, improve fuel efficiency and lower vehicle operating costs while strengthening regional connectivity and economic activity.
The highway will connect six PM Gati Shakti economic nodes, including a textile cluster, two mega food parks, an industrial park and two super thermal power plants. It will also improve access to key transport infrastructure such as the airports at Indore and Nagpur, railway stations at Betul and Khandwa, and the Multi Modal Logistics Park at Indore.The project is expected to generate nearly 19.5 lakh person-days of direct employment during the construction phase, besides creating substantial indirect job opportunities.Welcoming the approval, Chief Minister Mohan Yadav said the project would accelerate development in tribal-majority districts and strengthen the state's growth trajectory.“Development is progressing at double speed under the double-engine government. This project will accelerate growth in Betul, Khandwa, Khargone and Barwani while creating employment opportunities for thousands of people,” Yadav said.
The Chief Minister thanked Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Road Transport and Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari for approving the project, describing it as a major boost for the state's infrastructure and economic development.The highway project is expected to improve logistics efficiency, strengthen industrial connectivity and support Madhya Pradesh's efforts to attract investment and generate employment, key issues discussed during the meeting between Goyal and Yadav.