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Nath promises overhaul of road & highway sector

In what could be seen as strong indications of an overhaul in the working of road transport and highway sector, new minister Kamal Nath on Friday made it clear that he would go for wholesome changes in the ministry to put road construction back in top gear.

After taking charge of the ministry, Nath said his focus would be on implementation of projects on the ground rather than making big plans — a clear indication that the sector will get a major boost.

“Sadkon ko napi jaati hai, plans ko nahin (roads are measured and not the plans). Lot of thought has been given to planning in the past two years. Now we have to deliver. Performance is evaluated on the basis of kilometres of roads that are built. Now our agenda is of change. The system has to be overhauled so that work on the ground happens. Planning has to be delivered on roads,” he told reporters.

Nath, who was shifted from commerce and industry to road transport and highways, said he was “excited” about his new portfolio. He said he was looking forward to a challenge and he had got one.

On highway projects under public private partnership (PPP) model finding lukewarm response from private developers, the minister said, “Models which are not working have to be done away with and we need to adopt models which can attract investors. Moreover, just awarding the work is not just enough. We have to ensure progress is made on the ground.”

Spelling out his approach to bring the key infrastructure sector back on track, the minister said he was looking at structural changes in the system and procedures to make it result oriented. “Some of the old regulatory frameworks relating to transportation like multiple permit and Motor Vehicles Act have to be looked at from new perspectives. Old laws have to be amended,” he said.

Ministers of state Mahadev Khandela and R P N Singh also assumed charge on Friday.

Source: timesofindia.indiatimes.com

Nath promises action on roads

Once the high-profile commerce minister making India’s voice heard at global trade fora, Kamal Nath is now tasked with putting the country’s teetering highway projects on track. The surface transport ministry had drawn criticism for slippage in project implementation and delay in awarding contracts , but the new minister says actions will speak for themselves . Excerpts from an interview:

What will be the key focus areas of the new government?

In the past, there has been enough planning. Now thoughts have to be transformed into action. We have to ensure that the system and platforms are workable. Performance has to be measured not in terms of plans, but actual work. Things have to be looked at in a new way. In a few weeks, a new model will be found so that India can build the highest number of road kilometres. We have to see that all the outlays are utilised. A successful plan is that which is converted into action.

There have been talks of roads as a stimulus to the economy…

The greater the outlay on construction of roads, the greater the impetus to the economy. If you look at the development of countries like China, Japan and those in Europe, it is all based on their roads and other major infrastructure. There could be better airports but without good roads it doesn’t help much. Along with highways, rural roads too have to be given proper attention.

Earlier, there were delays on the part of the government… but a big hurdle was the paucity of cash owing to the impacts of the financial slowdown, which too delayed project implementation…

We will meet all the states in a month’s time to remove the bottlenecks . Some old regulatory frameworks on transportation such as multiple permit and others have to be reviewed . We are looking at new models . We will look at new ways of capital inflow.

Source: economictimes.com

Govt needs to overhaul road infra regulations – Kamal Nath

India needs to rework its regulatory policy framework for road infrastructure, the new transport minister said on Friday, as the government looks at the sector to boost growth in a flagging economy. “Old regulatory framework needs to be looked in a new way,” Transport Minister Kamal Nath told a news conference.

India’s economy slowed to a six-year low of 6.7 percent in the year to March 2009, and many expect it to slow further to 6 percent in the current fiscal year, compared with 9 percent or more in the recent past.

Source: in.reuters.com

Old framework for transportation sector to be modernised: Nath

The “old regulatory framework” relating to the transportation sector will be modernised to make it “practical”, Minister for Roads Transport and Highways Kamal Nath said today.

“Some of the very old regulatory frameworks we have relating to transportation like multiple permit and others have to be looked at (anew)… We are looking at new models,” Nath told reporters here while taking charge of the Ministry.

He also said that the outlay for constructing roads and highways has to be utilised and the programmes and mechanisms for road development have to be made workable and practical.

Nath, who was Minister for Commerce and Industry in the previous Government, said he will work towards meeting the challenge of providing stimulus to the economy through developing roads and highways.

“With the current global recession and the (slowdown) in the country, it is important that this (development of roads and highways) provides economic stimulus, this provides jobs and this is going to the biggest challenge,” he said.

His ministry will also look at the impediments in implementing plans for infrastructure development in the country, Nath said.

Source: business-standard.com

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