Monday, 05 April 2021 | PNS | New Delhi
The Centre has proposed an ambitious 210-km long road — Ram Van Gaman Marg — to be constructed in Uttar Pradesh with an aim to retrace the route believed to have been taken by Lord Ram on his way to exile with Sita and Lakshman.
The Ram Van Gaman Marg project will connect Ayodhya to Chitrakoot via Faizabad, Sultanpur, Pratapgarh, Jethwara, Shringverpur, Manjhanpur and Rajapur in Uttar Pradesh. The Ministry of Road Transport and Highways will construct the road.
Similarly, Ram Van Gaman Marg is also planned in Madhya Pradesh and neighbouring Chhattisgarh as both the State Governments have already approached the Centre.
In the first phase of the project, eight of the selected places in Uttar Pradesh falling on the forest route taken by Lord Ram will be developed as tourist destinations at a cost of `137.45 crore.
A senior MoRTH official requesting anonymity said the proposed alignment will pass through NH-28, NH-96, NH-731A. In addition, a greenfield alignment with a bridge at river Ganga at Shrinverpur will be undertaken as part of the project. Nearly, 38 km length of the particular route will be in Chitrakoot district.
Last year, Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan had also sought help and guidance from Road Transport and Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari for the development of Ram Van Gaman Path within his State.
Gadkari recently shared to the media that detailed project reports are being prepared for 4,080 km of projects entailing an investment of `35,000 crore under Bharatmala Pariyojna. This will include 121-km Ram Van Gaman Marg and famous Sharda Shaktipeet (Maihar temple) in the MP.
In last year August, Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel too had said a dedicated fund will be constituted for people to contribute towards the development of his Government’s ambitious Ram Van Gaman tourism circuit project in the State.
