Chandigarh/New Delhi, May 14 -- Chief minister Bhagwant Mann met Union minister for road transport and highways Nitin Gadkari in New Delhi on Wednesday, where he strongly raised the issue of delayed highway and infrastructure projects in the state and pressed for time-bound completion of several key corridors and flyovers. According to an official statement, Mann urged the Centre to remove bottlenecks in long-pending road projects and speed up execution of works that have remained incomplete for years despite multiple extensions. He also sought upgradation of strategically important state roads into national highways, particularly those with economic, border-security and religious significance. The CM demanded that the Ferozepur-Fazilka corridor, located close to the International Border, be declared a national highway, citing its strategic importance for connectivity and movement in the border belt. He also sought national highway status for the Chandigarh-Landran-Chunni-Sirhind road, describing it as a crucial link between SAS Nagar and Fatehgarh Sahib districts. Mann highlighted that the route carries heavy daily traffic and gains additional significance during major religious gatherings such as the annual Shaheedi Sabha at Fatehgarh Sahib. During the meeting, the Union minister assured support for several major road projects in Punjab. These include the four-laning of the Bhawanigarh-Kotshamir road corridor via Sunam, Cheema Mandi, Bhikhi, Mansa and Maur, as well as the expansion of the Barnala-Bajakhana and Malerkotla-Barnala road stretches. A major focus of the discussion was the delayed Wallah flyover project in Amritsar, which is being executed under the National Highways Authority of India. The CM said the flyover is critical as it connects Amritsar airport with Harmandir Sahib and serves heavy vehicular and VIP movement throughout the year. Mann also sought expedited approval for the Jalandhar-Hoshiarpur-Manali road project on National Highway 70. The CM said the Union minister appreciated Punjab's "Sadak Surakhya Force," and acknowledged its role in strengthening road safety enforcement in the state. Mann on Wednesday also met Union agriculture minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan and sought his intervention for the de-notification of certain hybrid paddy seeds to ensure smooth procurement and lifting operations in Punjab during the forthcoming kharif season. During the meeting, Mann secured assurances on uninterrupted fertiliser supply and groundwater conservation and sought Punjab's representation in the Central Seed Committee, and pressed for wheat seed subsidy allocation for 2026-27. Mann said certain hybrid paddy seed varieties have reportedly been causing higher grain breakage and lower head rice recovery during milling, leading to procurement problems for farmers. He said such varieties fail to meet the quality standards prescribed by the FCI during procurement. The Union minister assured that a special committee would be constituted to examine the issue and recommend measures before the kharif season....