Minister set 2018 target to build 10,000-km

The National Highways Authority of India has invited bids for 1,000km projects within the next 15 days.

In total, NHAI plans to award 3,300 km of road projects this month (February) and 5,000 km next month (March), subject to a good response in bidding and cooperation from state governments in land acquisition and project clearances.

As of January 2018, it had invited bids for building highways of 10,460 km, costing nearly Rs.1,75,000 crore.

Nitin Gadkari, Minister for Road Transport & Highways, had set a target for NHAI to award 10,000 km road projects this year.

In 2017-18, the authority had awarded nearly 2,700 km length projects, costing Rs.43,000 crore.

The projects awarded and likely to be awarded by March, 2018 cover 1,900 km in Maharashtra; 1150 km in Rajasthan; 1,020 km in Uttar Pradesh; 880 km in Odisha; 745 km in Andhra Pradesh; 740 km in Madhya Pradesh; 650 km in Gujarat; 620 km in Karnataka; 570 km in Tamilnadu; 500 km in Bihar; 430 km in Jharkhand; 365 km in Telangana; 350 km in Haryana; 280 km in West Bengal; 270 km in Chattisgarh; 150 km in Punjab; 150 km in Himachal Pradesh; 140 km in Delhi, 120 km in Kerala; and 100 km in J&K).

With the above jump in awards, NHAI is set to give a good beginning for the ambitious “Bharatmala Pariyojana” approved by the Government in Oct 2017.

To ensure that the targets are achieved, NHAI has set up a robust monitoring mechanism. Officials from the NHAI headquarters have been visiting project sites for expediting land acquisition and project clearances.

NHAI is also ramping up the pace of construction.

To maintain the pace of construction, NHAI has commenced works on 27 new projects covering 1,330 km.

It will commence the work soon on another 50 projects covering 3,000 km.

Banks/financial institutions are now showing keen interest in Hybrid Annuity Mode (HAM) and financing of HAM projects is now happening smoothly, said a government press note. fii-news.com