Nagpur Road Plan

The Second World War period witnessed a rapid increase in road transportation which caused serious damage to extend roads.

A coordinated and scientific plan was required to remedy the situation. In 1943, a committee was set up consisting of Chief Engineers of the various state known as Nagpur plan to devise methods of construction of roads and fix targets for the next 20 years.

Nagpur plan can be considered as a taking-off point in road planning in India.

This plan, which emerged at a conference of States” Chief engineers at Nagpur in 1943 (and is hence known as the Nagpur Plan) declared that the aim of road development in India should be to bring every village in the country within twenty miles (32 km) of the main road, within a period ten years. The roads to be developed were grouped into

(a) National highways to be built and maintained by the Central Government,

(b) State highways to be built and maintained by State Public Works Departments,

(c) district roads to be built and maintained by district boards and similar local authorities,

(d) Village roads to be maintained by village institutions.

At the beginning of the First, Plan India had 157,019 km of metalled roads and about 242,923 km. of unmetalled roads. By the end of March 1961 metalled road length stood at 230,883 km. and that of unmetalled roads at 243,870 km. By March 1966 the total length of unsurfaced roads may have exceeded 271,272 km. Although the plan was a 20-year vision, the target lengths were achieved in 1961 itself.