Land crunch, Green nod weigh down NHDP

December 15, 2007

NEW DELHI: The UPA government’s flagship programme, the National Highways Development Project (NHDP), has been delayed due to various reasons, including the government’s inability to acquire land. While no contracts have been awarded so far under phase-V, a few stretches under NHDP-III have been offered to developers.

The government offered contracts for only 278 km of highways up to October 2007 against the target of awarding 3,278 km under NHDP-III in 2007-08. Even for NHDP-II projects, consultants could not be appointed.

The government is, however, taking steps to bring all NHDP projects on track, an official said. The department of road transport and highways (DoRTH) has prepared a manual for four- and six-laning of highways and it would be finalised soon in consultation with the Planning Commission, he said. He attributed the delays in highway projects to slow progress in land acquisition and hurdles in getting environment clearances.

The department has identified 5,000 km of additional stretches to be upgraded on BOT basis under NHDP. The department would soon send the upgradation proposal to the Cabinet committee on economic affairs (CCEA) for approval.

DoRTH would also put 5,370 km more under NHDP-III and 1,760 km under NHDP-V for the approval of the public private partnership appraisal committee (PPPAC) by the end of the fiscal. On the proposed expressway between Noida and Ballia, the department would send its comments to the Planning Commission by the end of this month.

The government had earlier launched initiatives to upgrade and strengthen the national highways under various phases of NHDP. Over the next 4-5 years, these projects are estimated to cost around $40 billion.

Meanwhile, the government is setting up the directorate of road safety and traffic regulation. “Based on the recommendations of the Sundar committee, we would send the policy to the Cabinet for its approval. It should be finalised before the forthcoming Budget,” road transport and highways secretary Brahma Dutt said last week.