Overhaul policy to remove roadblocks: Nath

May 30, 2009

Taking over as the new surface transport minister today, Kamal Nath said regulations around India’s road network will be overhauled. The minister also promised to change the physical landscape of the country’s transport infrastructure in due time. “I have been given a challenging task,” Nath said, adding that, “We need to look at the old regulatory framework in an entirely new way and that will call for a complete change of mindset.”

“Policies cannot be measured…there can be a number of policies. But roads and highways can be physically measured. This is a major infrastructure area. Results will be seen,” said the minister who had the commerce and industry portfolio in the previous government.

Nath said he would bring in structural changes in the system and procedures of awarding contracts to private players. The public private partnership (PPP) models worked out by the ministry, the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) and the Planning Commission, have failed to attract interest among the bidders. Most of the projects, together worth Rs 70,000 crore, could not be awarded.

“If you have a model of PPP which nobody responds to, you have a model which is not workable. If you want progress, you would have workable models. This is the most important thing,” the minister said.

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: indianexpress.com