Kumar Bahukhandi
Deputy Chief Minister and Public Works Minister Arun Sao inspects a road infrastructure project in Chhattisgarh. The State Government has approved an additional ₹21.81 crore for upgrading the 36.40-km Nandghat–Mungeli road from two lanes to four lanes, taking the total sanctioned cost to ₹137.81 crore. File Photo
Chhattisgarh sanctions additional ₹21.81 crore to upgrade the previously approved two-lane project; 36.40-km corridor expected to improve connectivity towards Raipur
The Chhattisgarh Government has approved an additional ₹21.81 crore for upgrading the Nandghat–Mungeli road from the previously sanctioned two-lane configuration to a four-lane corridor, taking the total project cost to ₹137.81 crore.
The decision follows directions from Deputy Chief Minister and Public Works Minister Arun Sao, who had asked Public Works Department officials to examine and proceed with the widening of the strategically important road connecting Nandghat in Bemetara district with Mungeli.
The State had earlier sanctioned ₹116 crore in 2024 under the Central Road and Infrastructure Fund (CRIF) for construction of the road as a two-lane facility. Following Sao’s approval for its expansion, the government sanctioned the additional ₹21.81 crore on Thursday, August 6.
Key Highlights
- 36.40 km Nandghat–Mungeli stretch to be developed as four-lane road
- Total project outlay rises to ₹137.81 crore
- ₹116 crore had previously been sanctioned for the two-lane project
- State approves an additional ₹21.81 crore for four-laning
- Project expected to improve connectivity for Mungeli, Lormi and Pandaria, including traffic moving towards Madhya Pradesh and Raipur
The 36.40-km stretch has already been under the government’s road-widening programme. A tender worth about ₹112.89 crore for widening and strengthening the road had been approved earlier this year.
Long-Pending Demand Gets Government Nod
The move addresses a long-standing demand from residents for greater road capacity on the Nandghat–Mungeli State Highway.
Once completed, the four-lane corridor is expected to provide faster and safer movement between Mungeli and Nandghat and improve onward connectivity for travellers from Lormi and Pandaria towards the State capital. It would also strengthen the road link for traffic coming from adjoining areas towards Madhya Pradesh.
Mungeli’s road network provides important connections towards Raipur and Bilaspur; the district administration lists Raipur at about 125 km from Mungeli by rail-route reference and identifies NH-130A as a key road connection through Bilaspur district.
Food and Civil Supplies Minister and Nawagarh MLA Dayaldas Baghel welcomed the decision and thanked Deputy Chief Minister Arun Sao for approving the four-lane upgrade.
The revised sanction transforms what was originally conceived as a widening and strengthening project into a substantially larger road-infrastructure intervention. For the region, its significance will ultimately lie not merely in the higher project outlay, but in whether the four-laning delivers safer travel, reduced congestion and better connectivity for communities along the corridor.
