Now Prime minister Narendra Modi wants to build Bharat Mala. Bharat Mala is the name given to a ambitious programme of the Modi government — a road built along India's vast west-toeast land border, from Gujarat to Mizoram, at a cost of around Rs 14,000 crore, and linking that to a road network in coastal states, from Maharashtra to Bengal. This is a road network that will, as it were, garland the territory of India. Hence the name. "Our idea is to plan for a structured programme for building roads along our borders, especially the northern borders. And yes, we are calling it Bharat Mala," Union Roads Secretary Vijay Chhibber told to reporters. The plan, Chhibber said, is expected to take off later this year after all clearances are in place. Given the primacy Modi has put on this project, the ministry is aiming to complete a detailed project report in next few months. The Bharat Mala project has started with a detailed all-India assessment of the existing network. Officials said the government will have to construct some 5,300 km of new roads at an estimated cost of about Rs 12,000-14,000 crore for covering India's entire west-to-east land border.
