Chandigarh, Sept. 13 -- Haryana chief minister Nayab Singh Saini has approved the development of ring roads and national highways outside cities and towns with a population of more than one lakh. The state government will also advance major bypass projects at Hisar, Kurukshetra, Narnaul, Jind and Sohna-Palwal, with an estimated investment of around Rs.9,700 crore, an official spokesperson said. The CM, who chaired a meeting on the adoption of a financial model for the state's contribution under the master plan aimed at reducing congestion in urban areas along national highways, said that a policy for developing outer ring roads and national highways under the master plan should be formulated in accordance with the central government's policy framework so that road projects aimed at reducing traffic pressure in cities and towns can be implemented effectively. The spokesperson said a three-member committee comprising officers of the finance department, public works department and urban local bodies department had been constituted to work out matters related to the state's contribution under the cost-sharing arrangement with the central government. The CM also approved the construction of the Hisar bypass, Kurukshetra bypass, Narnaul City bypass, Jind bypass and Sohna-Palwal bypass. The Hisar bypass will provide connectivity from Hisar-Rajgarh Road (NH-52) to Hisar-Delhi Road and Hisar-Kaithal Road. The detailed project report (DPR) for the Kurukshetra-Ladwa bypass has also been prepared, and work on the project will commence soon. Saini said the nearly 11-km Narnaul City bypass would be connected to NH-148B. An outer ring road and a four-lane bypass on NH-352 will also be constructed on the other side of Jind. The Palwal-Sohna bypass from NH-919 will be upgraded, redesigned and constructed as a four-lane road over a length of approximately 24 km. Saini said connectivity would also be developed to link the DND-Faridabad-Ballabhgarh Bypass-KMP link and the Delhi-Mumbai Expressway with Jewar International Airport through greenfield connectivity. In Sirsa, the CM said there is discontent among the people of Punjab against the AAP government. The BJP will come to power in the 2027 assembly polls, Saini said on the sidelines of the District Public Relations and Grievances Committee meeting in Sirsa. He also met the family of Sukhchain Singh, a soldier from Kuttabad village in Sirsa district, who lost his life in a mishap in J&K's Rajouri last week. Saini said the Rs.2,000-crore corpus for startups will give an impetus to the state's startup ecosystem. The CM, who was reviewing the progress towards operationalising the proposed Haryana Startup Fund of Funds, said it envisaged a robust financial mechanism to support startups at different stages....