Government simplifies procedure for award of road projects
15 Dec 2012
The Cabinet Committee on Infrastructure (CCI) today approved a simplified procedure for award of road projects faster.
Under the new procedure, the ceiling of 4,000 km of four-laning in NHDP Phase-IV will be enhanced to 8,000 km, to be undertaken on a build-operate-transfer (BOT) on toll basis only, based on the traffic justification as per IRC code and guidelines.
Projects with traffic between 5000 passenger car units (PCUs) and 10000 PCUs that are not viable to be developed on BOT basis (toll mode) could be developed directly on EPC mode.
In the current year 2012-13, the ministry of road transport and highways proposes to take up 4,000 km on EPC basis.
This will expedite the award of projects, which will result in improvement of infrastructure in the country, an official release said today.
While construction of additional roads will boost the country's infrastructure, it will also increase the employment potential to the local labourers for project activities.
The union cabinet, at its meeting in July 2008 had approved the proposal for upgradation of 5,000 km under NHDP Phase IV-A. The empowered group of ministers (EGoM) constituted to finalise the financing plan for the entire NHDP while deliberating on the note for the upgradation/ strengthening of the project under NHDP Phase IV, decided that out of total 20,000 km under NHDP Phase-IV, keeping in view of traffic justification, about 2,000 kms may be undertaken as four-lane stretches.
The CCI had, in February 2012, approved the unified NHDP Phase - IV, for a length of 20,000 km, including the 5,000 km under NHDP Phase – IV-A, with direction that additional 2,000 km may be undertaken as four-laned stretches, in addition to that already approved by EGoM keeping in view of traffic justification.