'Highway projects to create jobs of 50 crore man-days in 4 years'

New Delhi: Highway projects of NHAI will help in creating employment of estimated 50 crore man-days in the next four years, the road and highways ministry said on Friday.

"The ongoing and targeted projects of National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) would generate estimated employment of approximately 50 crore man days over the next four years on a seasonal basis," the Ministry of Road Transport & Highways said in a statement.

NHAI is aiming to construct approximately 50,000 km highway over the next four years.

"This would be averaging to nearly 12.5 crore man-days yearly from 2018-2022. Of this, about 1 crore will be professional man-days, 3.5 crore skilled labour man-days and 8 crore semi-skilled and un-skilled man days," the statement added.

Seasonal employment opportunities would open up as execution of highways projects would desire professionals which are qualified as well as skilled and semi-skilled work force.

NHAI has embarked upon an elaborate exercise for skill development in a bid to cater to the requirement of professionals, skilled and semi-skilled work force.

NHAI held a meeting with the officers of Ministry of skill Development and Entrepreneurship for charting out a lay out in order to skill professionals, skilled and semi-skilled workers. At present, 282 projects of NHAI having a length of about 20,000 km are under implementation stage.

There is a target to award and complete around 220 highways projects--having length of about 31,000 km---under National Highways Development Project (NHD) and Bharat Mala scheme over the next three to four years.