• Such as?

For example, very close to Delhi, the NH-8. The stretch from Delhi to Gurgaon.

• Why is it continuing to go wrong?

One of the problems is that you get a change of scope. Somebody says let’s have a flyover here or adjust it to do it there. If there’s not enough prior work, you can get a concession agreement early but it just delays it two years later. But this new approach says, let’s sort these problems out first. Mind you the key thing is that when ministries disagree it takes time to get them to work a way out.

• And when ministries agree, it takes time to get over the surprise.

Well, those are the good surprises. Thirteen projects have been cleared through PPP approval in the last three months.

• On the new model concession agreement?

Well, no, one has been cleared. There were a number of projects which were somewhere in the pipeline and we agreed to use the new one for the new projects.

• So now these issues are settled, do we expect movement on highway projects?

Absolutely. I have discussed this with the ministries and the secretary. They have laid out an ambitious programme for the next six months. At least a dozen projects are going through various processes. You can measure progress in two ways. One, how many roads are constructed, and two, how much contracting and approval is given.

... contd.