Japan aid to widen main highway

Public Works Minister M.K. Munir said here yesterday that the Japan Bank for International Cooperation (JBIC) was likely to make available Rs13.50 billion for the development of National Highway-47 (NH-47) from Kanyakumari in Tamil Nadu to Kochi, the southern Indian state's financial capital.

Speaking at a function marking the second anniversary of the A.K. Antony government, Muneer said the federal government had conceded the demand for modernising the NH-47 into a four-lane traffic facility if the state government could provide the land needed.

A team of state government officials had already held discussions with a fact-finding mission from the JBIC in this regard.

The officials had informed the JBIC team that land was available for modernising the road.