NHAI to step up steam to meet targets

The National Highways Authority of India is all set to step up its efforts to award projects to meet their target...

The National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) is all set to step up its efforts to award projects to meet their target of 6,273 kms for this year.

With the Public Private Partnership project Appraisal Committee (PPPAC) finally meeting after a gap of four months and approving a slew of highway upgradation projects, the NHAI is planning to queue up several NHDP Phase III projects, some 4,500 kms in length.

The NHDP III is aimed at connecting places of social, historical and economic importance and include connectivity projects to several heritage sites and links along the Indo-Nepal border.

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While 30 projects estimated at Rs 11,627 crore and covering 1,941 km have already been awarded by the NHAI, another 3,000 km are proposed to be awarded this financial year. The remaining length will be awarded in a phased manner before March 2010, officials said.

This week, the PPPAC cleared projects for some 535 kms, including the Eastern Peripheral Expressway that along with its western half will give a mega bypass around Delhi, enabling transit traffic to skip the Capital’s crowded roads.

Soon after the PPPAC nod, the NHAI also awarded projects for 6/4 laning of the Delhi-Rohtak section and the Bangalore-Neelmangla section on Tuesday.

“Several projects were pending since June when the committee last met. It’s a big relief to see these projects come through. While upgradation of 535 kms has been approved by the committee, another 500 km are still pending with them and they may even collapse into more holistic packages. The NHAI will now queue up several road projects of around 4,500 kms under the NHDP III for PPPAC approval,” said a senior official from the Ministry of Shipping, Road Transport & Highways.

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With over 12,000 kms to be four-laned under the NHDP III, the NHAI is looking at a series of contracts to be awarded. A little over 321 kms of length has been awarded until now against an imposing target of 6,273 kms to be awarded this year.

The 6,273 km targeted for this fiscal includes six-laning of 2,995 km of Golden Quadrilateral under the NHDP Phase-V, 2,224 km of NHDP III A and 1,054 km of NHDP III B that envisages four-laning of stretches.

Only 1,734 km highways were awarded in 2006-07 compared to 4,740 km in 2005-06. A length of 6,273 km of highways to be awarded this year is the highest ever annual target for highway development and is expected to cost around Rs 40,955 crore.

Constituted after a Cabinet decision in 2005, the PPPAC is headed by the Secretary, Department of Economic Affairs, and has the secretaries of the Department of Expenditure, the Planning Commission, the Department of Legal Affairs, and the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways as members. The body has to approve the NHAI projects before the latter can start the bidding process. The PPPAC is also mandated to clear projects within a month.