The Modi Government has decided to speed up road works across the country by removing all bottlenecks. The Government with its thrust on infrastructure is certain about getting all halted projects started by the year-end and is hopeful of turning around the fortunes of the road sector in the next two years.
Union Minister for Roads, Transport and Highways (MoRTH) Nitin Gadkari on Monday said that his Government has taken a slew of steps, including making projects of Rs50,000 crore ready for award, clearing Rs1.5 lakh crore projects and setting a target to build 30 km of roads a day, for turning around the sector.
“In two years’ time, the infrastructure sector will undergo revolutionary changes. Transport and shipping sectors will contribute at least 2 per cent increase in the country’s GDP in two years span,” Gadkari said addressing the media here on completion of 100 days by the new Government.
“We inherited a legacy where 189 projects worth Rs1.5 lakh crore were stuck on account of regulatory hurdles including environment and forest clearances, most of which have been ironed out,” he said.
Gadkari said that issues pertaining to 24 of the 42 projects on public — private partnership (PPP) mode were removed. In addition, golden handshake with developers were made in 34 projects worth Rs38,573 crore as the builders had backed out and “we will bid out these on EPC (engineering, procurement and construction), he said.
Gadkari said that his Ministry has reached out to State Governments seeking their support, besides MPs in in 10 States have been told about delays in projects in their concerned constituencies. He said that projects across States would be fast tracked, irrespective of political considerations.
Even as Gadkari admitted that the delay in completion of NH-8 Expressway is embarrassing, he assured that the “mission” would be completed by 2015. “Delhi-Jaipur Expressway is the project with black spot for us. I visited the site and can say that there are so many problems and hurdles and our mission is to complete it despite all problems,” he told reporters.
Gadkari also acknowledged that the National Highways in Madhya Pradesh are the worst in the country, but said that the road projects in the State commence within four months.
“It is a fact that the condition of National Highways in MP is worst in the country. We got it in that shape as a legacy. State Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan met me on the issue and we have found a solution to it,” Gadkari said.
He also said that he would be visiting West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee soon to resolve all issues pertaining to road and highways development in the State. He said that he would not let politics intervene in the development of the nation.
Gadkari said that work was underway on projects worth Rs28,000 crore in Jammu & Kashmir and Rs10,141 crore in North East. He said that seven road packages worth Rs12,500 crore have been cleared for work on new highway alignment in the Uttarakhand to make its roads away from rivers.