PMO asks Road Min for plan on NH

In the first four months of 2012-13,the ministry managed to award only 600 km compared to the annual target of 9,500 km. This works out just about 5 km a day compared to the ambitious target of building 20 km of roads a day set out by the UPA government.

“This means that in the remaining months,over 8,900 km will have to be awarded. This is a very stiff target requiring 1,100 km to be awarded each month,” Chatterji wrote to Road Transport Secretary AK Upadhyay.

Though a part of the blame lies with the government delaying approval to the master concession agreements for roads that are to be built through non-biddable route,the progress in build-operate-transfer route (BOT) has also been tardy.

Non-biddable roads — built either through EPC contract or on operate-maintain-transfer basis — account for about 5,000 kms,leaving the rest to built under toll-collecting BOT method. “It is apparent that progress on award of BOT projects has been slower than anticipated,” says the letter.

The letter asks the ministry to go on “a war footing” to meet the targets and has given it a week to prepare the work plan.

“The work plan should also consider award of non-NHAI roads through states,a route which was very successful last year and which contributed almost 20 percent to the targets,” it says.