Road Transport Ministry is expediting the setting up of Expressways Authority of India and plans to put up the draft proposal in the next two weeks to invite comments for setting up the authority.
“We will put up the draft proposal for the Expressways Authority on our website in the next two weeks,” Transport Minister Kamal Nath said.
The Expressways Authority of India would look exclusively at the requirements of building expressways,which are roads that facilitate faster traffic flow between two places.
He also said the target of achieving 20 km of road construction a day would be reached by March next year. Soon after taking charge of the Ministry in May,Nath had set a target of building 20 kms of highways every day.
For constructing 20 kms of highways a day,the work in progress across the country should be at least 20,000 kms,he said.
When asked if the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) has decided on the Ministry’s proposal to vest the ownership of highways with it,Nath said,”NHAI is talking to financial institutions to see what gives them comfort”.
The Ministry had sent a proposal to NHAI asking for its approval to vest with it the ownership of highways so that the authority can give highway projects to developers on long term lease who will be able to raise loans easily against the lease.