The Government today said that the upgraded Rajmarg Pravesh online portal has simplified the process of getting the required access permissions to set up a fuel station, restaurant or a rest stop along the country’s National Highways. The upgraded portal was launched by the Union Minister of Road Transport and Highways, Nitin Gadkari, last month. It aims to make it easier for businesses, organisations and citizens to develop the infrastructure that supports the country’s expanding highway network. The platform also allows both Government and private parties to obtain approvals for laying critical utilities such as water and gas pipelines, optical fibre cables and electrical lines along or across National Highways. The Ministry of Road Transport and Highways said that the portal is expected to strengthen digital governance in the highways sector while improving coordination between authorities and applicants through real-time tracking and making the process more hassle-free.