The State Government has decided to formulate a first ever integrated Road Sector Policy after 66 years of Independence. The proposed long-term policy would have a vision plan for a period of at least ten years to make road linkage the engine of economic growth of the State.
According to Works Department Secretary Nalini Kanta Pradahan, the objective of the proposed long term policy is to support the economic and social developmental needs of the State linking important settlements, National Highways and providing an integrated network to the economic growth centres like mining ,industrial hubs ,present and proposed ports , IT development and tourism centres.
Stating that the broad objective of the road policy is to facilitate quick, effective and seamless mobility for both passenger and freight, Pradhan said that road linkage would also be made to agricultural produce marketing centres.
He said that in the changing scenario, an integrated road policy is needed for both capacity building of the nodal Works department and stakeholders like Revenue, Transport, Commerce, Steel and Mines, Industries, Tourism and Home departments in taking up new roads and finalising financial options.
Though the Works department has been developing the existing roads since British period, the State is facing a number of hurdles like opposition for land acquisition, law and order problem and shifting of various structures in taking up new roads, he said.
Pradhan said that with increased allocation, the Works department was now spending over Rs 3,000 crore annually with funding from State, Centre, multilateral financial institutions, private sector and external financial institutions like the World Bank and the Asian Development Bank for the development of road projects. This requires formulation of an integrated policy framework for development of the extensive road network, he said, adding that during the review of the road projects, the World Bank had been stressing the formulation of a broad road policy to expedite the projects.
Pradhan said that the proposed policy would incorporate important provisions like giving magistrate power to Executive Engineers to help clear the approved road plans physically in the event of any hurdles and to achieve timeline.
Pradhan said that the proposed policy would be formulated in lines of the road sector policies of Tamil Nadu and Kerala, which are acclaimed as best policy frameworks in the country for road development. A team of senior officials comprising of Chief Engineer (Roads) Bharat Chandra Pradhan, Commerce and Transport Secretary G Mathivathanan and Special Secretary (Home) lalit Das would visit both the States on January 2 to study the road policy.
He himself is likely to join the team at Chennai to participate in a scheduled wrap-up meeting, Pradhan said.
Stating that the proposed policy would deal with the fixation and collection of tolls, traffic and road management, Pradhan said that the department had also sought technical assistance from the World Bank and the ADB in this regard. A cell in the State-level would also be opened in the Works department to implement the proposed policy framework. He hoped that the new policy would be ready by end of the financial year.