Remove highway hoardings: NHAI
June 1, 2008
PANAJI: All hoardings erected along the national highways of Goa must be removed by June 5, 2008, according to an order issued by the National Highways Authority of India on Friday.
The NHAI officials told TOI that the order was issued directing that all hoardings must be removed within five days of publication of the order, failing which NHAI would itself remove the hoardings.
In its drive against these hoardings, the NHAI had earlier counted 245 major hoardings and about 700 smaller hoardings erected on land acquired for the national highways in Goa. While some have been removed since, many are still there.
On February 12, 2008, the High Court of Bombay in Goa had directed the state authorities to remove all illegal hoardings in the state within four months and file a report to the court.
The court also asked both the district collectors to submit their progress report latest by July 21, 2008.
These directions are to be complied with by the collectors of North and South Goa, directorate of panchayats, director of municipal administration and the highway administration.
This order of the High Court assumes significance in view of mushrooming illegal billboards in Goa, particularly along the national highways. Following a news report in a local daily, the court had taken suo
moto cognizance and issued a notice to the state authorities.
The court had observed that billboards are being erected without obtaining NoCs from local authorities and in violation of the 40-metre setback rule set out by the Indian Road Congress and without the permission of the Traffic Cell.
The court observed that local authorities must exercise proper control over billboard erection and order their removal wherever rules are flouted. The court noted that the hoardings are a hazard to road safety and mar the natural beauty of the state.
The court also held that the local authorities have failed to exercise statutory control over the erection of billboards within their respective jurisdictions, thereby encouraging illegal hoardings.
Source: www.timesofindia.indiatimes.com
NHAI floats Rs 3,700-cr bond issue
May 31, 2008
NEW DELHI: National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) has floated a fresh tranche of capital gains bonds to raise Rs 3,700 crore for funding new projects over the medium term. This is the second time in less than one year that NHAI has issued bonds. In September 2007, the organisation raised Rs 2,000 crore through such bonds.
The bonds issued by NHAI will yield an interest of 5.75% per annum and mature in three years. The face value of each bond is Rs 10,000. The Authority will accept a maximum application size of 500 bonds from a single entity or person. The bonds have been issued under Section 54 EC of the Income-Tax Act and the issue will close at the end of the current fiscal (March 31, 2009).
The issue is being marketed by banks such as Union Bank of India (UBI), IDBI Bank, selected branches of Syndicate Bank, HDFC Bank, Canara Bank and Punjab National Bank (PNB).
The government has authorised the NHAI to issue capital gains bonds with a ceiling of Rs 3,700 crore during 2008-09. Section 54EC of the Income Tax Act 1961, provides that capital gains arising from transfer of a long-term capital asset shall not be taxed so far as such gains are invested in a long-term asset within a period of six months after the date of transfer.
The NHAI is about to launch two more projects under the National Highway Development Programme (NHDP) VI and VII, which are currently in the planning stage. Both the projects have a planned investment of Rs 16,680 crores each.
NHDP VI involves the construction of a 1,000 km expressway in the western region. The cabinet committee on economic affairs has already approved the development plan of NHDP VII and the ministry of road transport and highways is in the process of setting targets for the stage by stage completion of the same.
NHAI is engaged in building the golden quadrilateral, which is part of NHDP-I and II projects. NHAI funds highway projects through issue of bonds, funds raised through fuel cess and loans from multilateral funding agencies such as Asian Development Bank and World Bank.
Source: www.economictimes.indiatimes.com
Himachal CM Proposes Six-lane Parwanno-Shimla Expressway
May 27, 2008
Shimla: Chief Minister Prem Kumar Dhumal put forth a proposal for a six-lane expressway between Parwanno and Shimla, keeping in mind the increased traffic and future needs on the route.
Presiding over a review meet consisting of officials from the National Highway Authority (NHAI) and the state government the chief minister said that detailed project report for a six-lane expressed could be prepared.
He said the government was keen to start work on the four-laning of the 40.75 Km Parwanno – Solan stretch of the highway. Work on the Solan – Shimla stretch would be taken up in the next phase, he said. The four lane express way project between Parwanoo and Solan was likely to cost Rs 440.56 crore.
NHAI had proposed to construct the entire length of road as four-lane road but the state government was keen that the entire road be made into a six-lane one, said Dhumal.
Traffic pressure was mounting with every passing year, said Dhumal, and to meet the transport needs for the next fifty years it was essential to plan for it today. Vehicle movement on the existing highway from both ends was estimated to be around 23,000 per day which was projected to rise to about 66,500 by 2030. Such projections needs to be kept in mind while preparing a DPR for the expressway said Dhumal.
Roads remained the life line of connectivity for the hill capital, said the chief minister, as the Shimla-Kalka narrow gauge rail line was in the process of being declared a World Heritage rail track and the possibility of it being expanded into a broad gauge track was remote.
Planning and designing was required to be in consonance with the future demand of the area and required preparations made well in time to envision the additional land acquisition for the six lane express way, he said.
Public Works Minister Gulab Singh Thakur, said that spade work had been carried out for getting the project started early.
Dr. Rajeev Bindal, health minster, sought details of the habitations falling between Parwanoo and Shimla and urged authorities not to disturb the same in the process.
Ravi Dhingra, Chief Secretary said that the state had initially proposed the construction of six lane express way which was the need of the state keeping in view future growth requirements.
Balram Sharma, Secretary PWD, gave a detailed presentation about the departments preparedness to get the project executed.
PK Dass, General Manager, NHAI gave the presentation about the express way project and assured that necessary steps would be taken to make preparations for six lane road while initially constructing a four lane road.
Solan district legislators Hari Narayan Singh Saini, Smt. Vinod Chandel, Gobind Sharma and Dr. Rajeev Saijal, Principal secretary to the chief minister Bhim Sen, Director general of police Ashwani Kumar, special secretary PWD Mohan Chauhan, HPPWD engineer in chief BS Rajpal, Project director NHAI Col. K.P.Sharma, consultant NHAI Faquir Chand and other senior officers were present in the meeting.
Source:www.himachal.us
M’lore: High-tech Four-lane Road from Kundapur to Talapady Soon
May 2, 2008
Govind D Belgaumkar/The Hindu
- Work on the 90-km stretch likely to begin after the monsoon season
- Contractors to apply for pre-qualification before May 30
- Work to be awarded on build, operate and transfer basis
Mangalore, May 2: A smooth ride on a high-tech road from Kundapur in Udupi district to Talapady on Karnataka-Kerala border may be a possibility very soon. However, vehicle users will have to pay for using the road.
The work is being taken up under the third phase of National Highway Development Project (NHDP), aimed at building world-class highways to fuel the growth of the economy.
Although the work on the stretch between Nanthur and Surathkal has been tardy, the National Highway Authority of India (NHAI) has invited tenders for the remaining 90-km stretch. The Surathkal-Nanthur stretch has been taken up under the Port Connectivity Project of the NHDP.
Process
Considering that the process of awarding the tender takes a few months, as suggested in the authority’s website, the 90-km project implementation may begin only after the monsoon season.
The authority intends to pre-qualify six applicants, who will be eligible to bid for the project. In the next step, the bidders have to submit their financial offers for the project.
The NHAI has set May 30, against the previous May 5, as the deadline for contractors to apply for pre-qualification. Queries from the applicants will be entertained till May 5, after which a conference will be organised to clear their doubts on May 7. It will be a tolled road to be awarded on build, operate and transfer (BOT) basis. A special purpose company will be created to undertake the project implementation.
The contractor winning the project will have to design, engineer, finance, construct, operate and maintain the road till its transfer to the NHAI.
Scope of work
The scope of the project includes, rehabilitation of displaced people, improvement and widening of the existing carriageway to four-lane standards with construction of new pavements, rehabilitation of existing pavement, construction and/or rehabilitation of major and minor bridges, culverts, road intersections, interchanges, drains, and the operation and maintenance thereof.
Features
The NHDP hopes to provide enhanced safety features on the roads taken up for four-laning or six-laning, besides better riding surface, better traffic management and noticeable signage, divided carriageways and service roads, grade separators, over bridges and underpasses, bypasses and wayside amenities. The third phase envisages construction of more than 12,000-km of road. Of this, about 10,000 km is yet to be awarded, according to the NHAI website. Under NHDP, the authority has almost completed the golden quadrilateral which connects the four metros.
source:www.daijiworld.com
Govt goes high on highway
April 30, 2008
At last, the confusion whether the tiny State of Goa will have a six or the four lanes on National Highway 17, looks to have been solved by the announcement of Public Works Department minister Churchill Alemao, after an all party meeting yesterday, that the State would prefer a 4-lane due to the land constraints. But will the project see the light of the day considering that Goa government is biding for it?
There seems to be more than one technical snag in the decision reached by all parties to go in for a four lane highway on BOOT basis (built, own, operate and transfer basis).
First, the National Highways Authority has almost completed the formalities on the project and according to the NHAI website the works on the project — four laning of NH17 from Patradevi to Polem – a 139 km stretch, is due for tendering soon after the consultant submits the report.
Another issue that meets the eye is when the Centre is all set to tender the work why the hurry in taking up the project on its own by Goa government?
Secondly, the NHAI says that the estimated cost of the entire stretch including the five bridges at Colvale, Mandovi, Zuari, Talpona and Galgibaba will cost around 906.28 crores approximately.
Moreover, our PWD minister thinks otherwise and says the projects will cross a cost of Rs 2000 crore “as the cement and the steel prices have gone up.” Even then should the estimated cost become double?
The NHAI is a competent authority and has taken up number of such projects but PWD minister wants to prove them wrong. Is it just a mistake or there is something more to the tale?
Herald understands that the estimated cost drawn a few days ago by the PWD ministry here is also around Rs 1300 crores, taking into consideration the cost escalation.
Govt goes high on highway
The consultant appointed by NHAI for Goa National Highways has already submitted the report on four laning of NH 4(A) from Panjim to Anmod and is expected to complete the report on the NH-17 in near future.
The other announcement that the toll will not be charged to State registered vehicles may please the Goans, but the question is whether toll collection of non-Goa registration vehicles would suffice to recover the huge cost that would be incurred by the contractor?
The answer of non-Goa registration vehicles will be only 1,000 to 2000 at the most, sources say. How then the government expects the contractor to maintain the road at its best? Will any contractor come up to take up work with such conditions? is a big question.
The toll rates charged presently by the NHAI is - car or jeep or van Rs 0.40 per km; light commercial vehicles - Rs. 0.70 per km; truck or bus Rs 1.40 per km and heavy construction machinery and earthmoving equipment - Rs 3 per km.
source: www.oheraldo.in
GVK group targets expansion plan of NH-8
April 29, 2008
The GVK group is planning to expand its highway footprint in north India. The group, which built and is operating the 91-km Jaipur-Kishangarh stretch, is now eying to bag National Highway Authority of India’s (NHAI) project for widening the Kishangarh-Ajmer-Bewar section of NH 8. Since the existing stretch is among the biggest money spinner road projects in India a toll collection of nearly Rs 128 lakh per km per year, the extension is going to attract other big names also for the bidding process.
The NHAI’s decision to six-lane the 94-km stretch of Kishangarh-Ajmer-Beawar road comes three months after the move to similarly expand the Gurgaon-Jaipur stretch of NH 8. “We are definitely interested in the onward stretch from Kishangarh,” said GVK spokesperson Manish Kalghatgi. This 94-km stretch has to be six-laned at a cost of Rs 722 crore. The 91-km Jaipur-Kishangarh expressway was developed for Rs 650 crore.
A wide road right upto Beawar is going to make Rajasthan’s exotic tourist spots easily accessible. At present, the wide road from Gurgaon ends just after exiting the toll plaza at Kishangarh and then motorists have to negotiate heavy traffic on existing two-lane roads. This work will be done under the National Highway Development Project Phase (NHDP) phase-III in which 4,035-km of national highways had to be widened to four lanes.
“The Jaipur-Kishangarh stretch gets nearly 6 lakh vehicles and about Rs 12 crore as toll on an average every month. Such traffic and revenue figures are bound to generate interest among all major players in developing the Kishangarh-Beawar stretch,” said an official.
The improved highways will have service roads, pedestrian subways so that there is no jaywalking on roads in front of high speed vehicles.
Source: www.business-standard.com
Ministry unlikely to pay highway companies for higher input costs
April 28, 2008
The Ministry of Road, Transport and Highways is unlikely to accept a demand of private contractors engaged in the construction of national highways for reimbursement of increased costs, incurred due to the unprecedented hike in cement and steel prices.
A senior official in the Ministry of Road, Transport and Highways said: “We have received the demands of the highway contractors. However, it is very difficult to rework the cost escalation norms and reimburse the escalated price in a running contract. The government has taken several measures to address the price issue and in the coming days the prices of steel and cement are expected to come down”.
He added the projects undertaken on a public-private partnership (PPP) basis always have a risk element involved.
The risk is addressed to a certain extent as the contract is based on the star rate (the base rate at which the contract is signed for any given commodity used) and in which there is a provision to reimburse the escalated price.
Brahmdutt, president, National Highway Builders Federation, said: “The unanticipated sharp rise in the price of cement, steel, bitumen and other raw materials over the last year have hit hard the contractors undertaking National Highway Authority of India’s (NHAI) projects. The escalation clause of most contract documents are insufficient to accommodate the large variations in prices of construction materials. As a result such variations transfer themselves to the contractor in the form of increased costs”.
Over the last year, prices of steel, cement and bitumen have increased at an average of 76.96 per cent. This has led to increase in cost of building a 1 km four lane project from Rs 6 crore to Rs 7.84 crore
Ankideedu Maganti, director, Soma Enterprises Ltd, which is undertaking a couple of National Highways Authority of India, projects said: “At the time of bidding we assume a inflation of 7-8 per cent on materials.
But right now, our assumptions are not able to accommodate the 40-50 per cent rise in the price of raw materials”.
Source: www.business-standard.com
STATUS OF WORK ON SELECTED HIGHWAY STRETCHES IN PUNJAB
April 23, 2008
The status of Chandigarh-Kiratpur, Amritsar-Pathankot and Jalandhar –Amritsar stretches are as under:
(i) Chandigarh-Kiratpur stretch: The Chandigarh-Kurali section is of 28.6 km length. Out of this, the stretch from km 0.0 to km 11.4 is four/six laned. Four laning from km 11.4 to 15.4 has been sanctioned for Rs.13.51 crore on 31.03.2008 by Ministry. Four laning of the remaining section from km 15.4 to 28.6 is to be taken up under National Highways Development Project (NHDP) Phase – III. The 4 – laning of Kurali-Kiratpur section has been awarded in June 2007 on BOT basis and the work is likely to be completed by June 2010.
(ii) Jalandhar-Amritsar stretch : The Detailed Project Report (DPR) to take up the work of four- laning on Build, Operate and Transfer (BOT) toll basis for Jalandhar-Dhilwan section has been updated by the consultant. The bidding process shall be started after Public Private Partnership Appraisal Committee (PPPAC) clearance. The four – laning of Dhilwan to Verka Chowk, Amritsar section has been started in May 2006 and the work is targeted to be completed by November 2008.
(iii) Amritsar-Pathankot Stretch : The Detailed Project Report (DPR) preparation for four laning of this stretch is in advance stage of completion. The bidding process shall be started after Public Private Partnership Appraisal Committee (PPPAC) clearance.
This information was given by the Minister of State for Shipping, Road Transport and Highways, Shri K.H. Muniyappa in a written reply in the Lok Sabha today.
Source: pib.nic.in
DEVELOPMENT OF EXPRESSWAYS UNDER NHDP-VI
April 23, 2008
The following stretches under National Highways Development Project (NHDP) Phase-VI have been identified for implementation.
|
S. No. |
Name of Expressway |
Length (Km) |
Status of work |
|
1. |
Vadodara-Mumbai |
400 |
The consultant for fixing of alignment has been appointed. |
|
2. |
Delhi-Meerut |
66 |
The proposal from the consultants for fixing of alignment has been invited. |
|
3. |
Kolkata-Dhanbad |
277 |
|
|
4. |
Bangalore-Chennai |
334 |
The Delhi-Jaipur stretch was one of the stretches announced by the Finance Minister in his budget speech for the FY 2008-09 for construction of Expressway. The project was to be finally selected for implementation on the basis of traffic volume. However, in view of the upgradation of existing alignment to six lane under NHDP Phase-V, which will be sufficient to cater to the traffic volume for another 10-12 years, the new Expressway is not envisaged, at present.
NHDP Phase VI is targeted for completion by December 2015.
This information was given by the Minister of State for Shipping, Road Transport and Highways, Shri K.H. Muniyappa in a written reply in the Lok Sabha today.
Source: pib.nic.in
NHAI terminates road contract awarded to MP-owned company
April 21, 2008
Parliament member Samba Siva Rao’s Progressive Constructions was unable to build 55km road
New Delhi: Under pressure for poor results and with the government seeking an overhaul of its management team, the National Highways Authority of India, or NHAI, the country’s road regulator, has begun axing contracts for non-performance, including those awarded to companies with powerful political connections.
These troubled contracts are partially to blame for holding up completion of the so-called Golden Quadrilateral that would connect four regions of India through 5,846km of four-laned highways. Within the last month, NHAI has cancelled two contracts and encashed their bank guarantees.
The more high profile of the two was the termination of a contract awarded to a company run by the family of a Congress party member of Parliament, Kavuru Samba Siva Rao.
“These contracts had to be terminated because they had defaulted,” said NHAI chairman N. Gokulram, refusing to discuss the matter further.
As many as eight contracts under the Golden Quadrilateral have already been terminated between 2006 and 2007. Of the 5,846km of highways that were to be four-laned under the project, NHAI is yet to complete 206km.
Hyderabad-based Progressive Constructions Ltd, which was set up by Rao, a four-term MP, and is managed by his son Bhaskar Rao, was not able to complete the 55km stretch even four years after the initial deadline expired. Consequently, NHAI terminated the contract and encashed a bank guarantee of around Rs50 crore submitted by the company when it was awarded the Sunakhala–Ganjam highway project.
NHAI officials, who did not wish to be identified, insist that this is just the beginning and it “would spare no one regardless of their political connections”.
A dozen contracts, whose performance is holding up completion of the Golden Quadrilateral project which was started by the National Democratic Alliance government in 1998, but is yet to be completed, are being scrutinized by NHAI.
According to officials in the ministry, Progressive was awarded the contract in 2001. The highway work was to be completed by 2004. When the contract was terminated last month, the company was only half-way done, with the project valued at Rs163 crore.
“I am not looking after these things (management). My son Bhaskar Rao runs the company,” said Rao, adding that there was also a feeling among contractors that “all was not well with NHAI.”
While the MP declined to elaborate the reasons for not being able to proceed with the project, he maintained that problems faced by the contractors, such as land acquisition, threat from Naxalites and law and order issues, have not been addressed.
“NHAI could not hand over the land within the time frame and in the sequence as was stipulated in the contract. This has affected the project,” insisted a senior executive with Progressive.
NHAI has also terminated the contract of Prakash-Atlanta, a joint venture between Prakash Building Associates Ltd and Atlanta Infrastructure Ltd, for failing to complete the Lucknow bypass on time. An NHAI officer said the regulator had also encashed the bank guarantee of Rs28 crore from the company.
However, the company says that it was its contractor who had initiated the termination proceedings. In a 14 March letter addressed to the NHAI chairman and the consulting engineer for the project, a copy of which was viewed by Mint, the contractor requested that the contract be terminated and NHAI provide compensation.
The letter said the contract was supposed to be completed in 30 months by August 2004. The contractor, however, alleged that a number of problems, including land acquisition and variance in scope of work, dogged the project.
“Another problem is the quality of the detailed project reports,” said an official with the company, who did not wish to be quoted. The project went to an arbitration tribunal following disputes over variation in costs of the project.
“Now it has become crystal clear to us that the policy of NHAI is to use the contractor as a resource and exhaust him completely before termination of the contract wrongfully and illegally, and further crippling the contractor by making demands on securities and bank guarantees,” the letter stated.
The letter also said the contractor filed two separate termination notices to NHAI. Each time, the contractor was persuaded to continue work on the project.
“On the one side, the government is insisting on completion. On the other side, bankers and shareholders are asking for results. So, any delay in finalizing the bills or making payments from government side may have lot of impact on the promoters credibility with the bankers and also with the government and of course the investors,” said Murali M., director general of the National Highways Builders Federation.
Source: livemint.com