The Centre today said it has plans to pump in around Rs 1.44 lakh crore in road projects in Karnataka over the next two years.

Union Roads Minister Nitin Gadkari, who is on a two day official tour to the state said that “the Centre has plans to invest approximately an amount of Rs 1,44,922 crore in the Karnataka in the next two years”.

He will lay the foundation stone for over 500 km of highways projects worth over Rs 3700 crores in the districts of Shimoga, Bellary, Bidar, Bijapur and Hubli in Karnataka.

Gadkari, who laid the foundation stone for 138.5 km of highways projects worth Rs 873.5 crore in Shimoga district, said that 6,805 km of National Highways have been declared in Karnataka between 2014-2017, as against only 6760 km up to 2014.

The minister said that while there are 105 ongoing projects worth Rs 19,638 crore, another 19 projects of length 230 km and costing Rs 1,676 crore will soon be awarded.