As contracting for construction of new highway projects this financial year lags behind targets by a huge margin the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways has asked its implementing agencies to improve their progress in awarding of contracts.
“Implementing agencies have been advised to expedite pre-construction activities like land acquisition, regulatory clearance for environment, forest, wildlife and no objection certificates from different authorities through frequent and pro-active coordination with the state government and other concerned authorities,” minister for road transport and highways Nitin Gadkari said in Rajya Sabha,
“Periodic review meetings are being held at various levels on a daily and weekly basis, to monitor and expedite progress in sanction and award of projects,” the minister said in a reply to a question.
During the current financial year up to December 2023, the implementing agencies of the Ministry have reported award of 272 projects comprising 3,111 km total length with costing of about Rs 50,900 crore under various schemes of the Ministry.
This number is less than half of 7123 km of highways awarded by the agencies of the ministry last year. Already because of the slow pace of award the ministry had brought down the target for this year to 10,000 km from 12,500 km earlier.
According to officials the as most of the awarding happens in February and March the revised target for the year would be met. The implementing agencies of the highways ministry are National Highways Authority of India (NHAI), National Highways and Infrastructure Development Corporation and roads wing within the ministry itself.
While award figures lag, the pace of construction this financial year continues to be better than last year. Till December 6,216 km of national highways have been built as compared to 5,774 km in the same period last year.
In reply to another question Gadkari said the NHAI has constructed 3720 km of highways till February this year as compared to 4882 km in the while of 2022-23.