Under fire for massive delay in the implementation of the National Highways Development Programme (NHDP) Phase I, the Ministry of Shipping, Road Transport & Highways has decided to put on notice all contractors on lingering projects of the North South East West (NSEW) Corridor Phase I by June 2008 and even terminate and re-award them if necessary. The step comes close on the heels of the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) deciding that it would close all lingering projects on the heavily delayed Golden Quadrilateral (GQ) by June this year.

The ministry in a recent meeting had assured a Committee of Secretaries (CoS) and Parliamentary Standing Committee that the move was being made to ‘expedite the completion of the project’. Both had strongly taken up the issue of delays in project implementation.

There are 10 projects along the NSEW corridor that are seen as causing a shortfall in meeting targets. While there are three identified contracts considered as ‘non-performing’, another three measuring some 61 km have already been terminated. Yet another three contracts are marked as showing 'slow progress' by the ministry in its report to the CoS.

A total of 94 km along NSEW and 156 km along Port connectivity and other projects had been marked in the red by the ministry. Along the GQ, 225 km were heavily delayed and its contractors would be put on notice by June 2008. A total of 42 projects under NHDP I were running behind schedule, the ministry told the Lok Sabha this week.

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