The government announced that over 700 wayside amenities (WSAs) along national highways will be developed by FY29. These facilities will include fuel stations, electric vehicle charging stations, toilets, drinking water, parking, and eateries. Union Minister of Road Transport and Highways, Nitin Gadkari, informed the Rajya Sabha that 501 WSAs have already been awarded, with 94 currently operational.

National Highways Logistics Management Limited (NHLML) is overseeing the project, ensuring WSAs are established at intervals of 40-60 km.

“A digital feedback system to enable users to provide digital inputs is installed at WSAs for the purpose of quality monitoring,” stated the ministry. WSAs are being developed through private bidding while also incorporating dedicated kiosks to support local artisans and employment generation. Additionally, village ‘haats’ have been included as permissible facilities under the Khadi and Village Industries Commission (KVIC) to promote local produce.

For maintaining the national highway network, the government has approved short-term maintenance contracts (STMC) for 17,884 km at Rs 2,842 crore and performance-based maintenance contracts (PBMC) for 6,118 km at Rs 6,757 crore in FY25.