ADB To Provide $200 Million To Upgrade Maharashtra Rural Roads

The Asian Development Bank will provide $200 million (about Rs 1,400 crore) to upgrade rural roads to all-weather standards in 34 districts of Maharashtra with an aim to improve road safety and better connectivity with markets.

An agreement in this regard was signed between the government and the ADB, the multilateral agency said in a statement.

The project will improve the condition of about 2,100 kilometer of rural roads to all-weather standards, with climate resilience and safety features, connecting rural communities with productive agricultural areas and socio-economic centers, said Sabyasachi Mitra, Deputy Country Director of ADB's India Resident Mission.

Provision of contractual maintenance for five years following construction has also been provided under the project, he added.

Accompanying the loan is a technical assistance grant of $1 million for institutional strengthening of the Maharashtra Rural Roads Development Association in areas such as road asset management, road safety, climate-resilient design and construction and web-based real-time project monitoring.

ADB said road safety has been a growing concern, with the state accounting for over 8 percent of all fatal road accidents in India.