Problems in acquiring lands for construction of roads have emerged as one of the major hurdles in the execution of NHAI projects across the country. Out of 52 projects stalled for the want of land acquisition, about 60 per cent are located in Congress-ruled States.
Alarmed by the trend, the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) has written to the State Governments to expedite land acquisitions for the purpose of road construction.
Seven national highway projects each in Kerala and West Bengal are suffering on this count. Similarly execution of highway projects in Assam have been severely affected. Four NHAI projects in Mizoram and three each in Jammu & Kashmir, Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra, Haryana-Rajasthan and Bihar, have been waiting the land acquisition.
Moreover, there are two incomplete projects each in Uttarakhand, Goa and Andhra Pradesh and one each in Karnataka, Manipur-Assam and Arunachal Pradesh. They too are awaiting land for road construction.
“The pace of development of National Highway projects has slowed down due to delays in land acquisition, shifting of utilities, environmental and forest clearances,” said an official from the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways.
While excess rainfall have had a major role in devastation of roads in large parts of Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh and Kerala, the shortage of skilled and semi-skilled manpower in some States are also among the roadblocks. To overcome the problems, the Ministry is taking several steps. One among these is giving more powers to officials to ease acquisition of land for construction or widening of roads.
“The Ministry has set up regional offices in various States for effective monitoring of implementation of projects and have also entrusted the chief general managers manning these offices with adequate powers for land acquisitions,” said the official.
The ministry has also asked the State Governments to set up high powered committees with chief secretaries as nodal officers for National Highway Development Project. Special land Acquisition Units (SlAU) have been set up in some States to expedite the process. The total estimated investment target for Central Sector Roads and Transport during 12th Five Year Plan is close to Rs 4 lakh crore.