The Empowered Group of Ministers (EGoM) on national highways on 17 March 2010
decided to convert 10,000 km of roads into national highways.
The Union Ministry of Road Transport and Highways has begun the process of
identifying 10,000 km stretches of state roads that could be considered for
declaration as new national highways. The declaration is to be done on the basis
of the proposals given by state governments, stretches identified under the
current 20-year road development plan of the ministry, and roads considered
important from strategic considerations
The development of the 10,000 km of state roads is estimated at about Rs
15,000 crore in the five years ending 2015-16.