December 07, 2001

'25'

CONSULTATIVE COMMITTEE ATTACHED TO MINISTRY OF ROAD TRANSPORT AND HIGHWAYS MEETS

GOVT COMMITTED TO TIMELY COMPLETION OF NHDP: KHANDURI

        The Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Road Transport and Highways, Major General B. C. Khanduri, AVSM (Retd.) today said that the Government is fully committed to timely completion of the National Highways Development Project (NHDP) comprising the Golden Quadrilateral and the East-West and North-South Corridors. He was speaking at the fourth Meeting of the Parliamentary Consultative Committee attached to the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways, here today. The subject for today's Meeting was NHDP.

        Speaking on the occasion, Gen. Khanduri said that the National Highways Development Project (NHDP) is the largest highway project ever undertaken by the country. Under this project, about 13,150 km of National Highways are proposed to be 4/6-laned at a total estimated cost of Rs.54.000 crores(at 1999 prices), he said.

        The Minister informed the Members that the total length of the highways covered by Golden Quadrilateral is 5851 km. It covers 13 States across the country and the State-wise breakup is (in km.): Andhra Pradesh–1014, Bihar-204, Delhi-25, Gujarat- 485, Haryana- 152, Jharkhand-192, Karnataka-623, Maharashtra-487, Orissa-440, Rajasthan-725, Tamil Nadu-342, Uttar Pradesh-756 and West Bengal-406.

        Further, Gen. Khanduri informed that the present status of the development of the Golden Quardrilateral componenet is: Delhi-Mumbai: total length-1422 kms; already 4-laned-494 kms; Under implementation – 928 kms. Mumbai-Chennai: total length – 1290 kms; already 4-laned – 181 kms; under implementation –633 kms; balance scheduled for award by 11/2001 – 476 kms. Kolkata-Chennai: total length – 1681 kms; already 4-laned – 93 kms; under implementation – 1573 kms; balance scheduled for (BOT) award by 11/2001 – 15 kms. Delhi-Kolkata: total length – 1458 kms; already 4-laned – 237 kms; under implementation – 642 kms; balance scheduled for award by 11/2001 – 492 kms; balance scheduled for award by 12/2001 – 87 kms.

        The Minister informed that the total length of North-South Corridor is about 4000 kms. And that of East-West Corridor is about 3300 kms. The North-South Corridor including Kochi-Salem spur connects 13 States and the East-West Corridor covers 7 States. The State-wise breakup of North-South (NS) & East-West (EW) Corridors is: Andhra Pradesh – 753 kms(NS); Assam – 753 kms (EW); Bihar – 517 kms(EW); Delhi- 34 kms (NS); Gujarat – 654 kms(EW); Haryana – 180 kms(NS); Himachal Pradesh – 14 kms(NS); Jammu & Kashmir – 405 kms(NS); Karnataka – 125 kms(NS); Kerala – 160 kms(NS); Madhya Pradesh – 524 kms(NS) and 142 kms(EW); Maharashtra – 232 kms(NS); Punjab – 296 kms (NS); Rajasthan – 32 kms(NS) and 480 kms(EW); Tamil Nadu – 851 kms(NS); Uttar Pradesh – 268 kms(NS) and 548 kms(EW) and West Bengal – 366 (EW).

        The present status of North-South & East-West Corridors is: total length – approx 7,300 kms; already 4-laned – 675 kms; under implementation – 739 kms; scheduled for award by 10/2001 – 62 kms and balance scheduled for award by 2002-05 – approx 5,824 kms.

        The funding arrangement which has already been approved for NHDP PhaseI is: Cess/Market borrowing – Rs.16,846 crore; external assistance- Rs. 7,862 crore; Build, Operate & Transfer based-Rs. 1,690 crore; annuity based- Rs. 2,000 crore; NHAI SPVs- Rs. 1,902 crore; status of external financing: target- Rs. 7,862 crores; ongoing residual commitments – Rs. 800 crores; Asian Development Bank (for Surat-Manor) Rs. 846 crores; World Bank (TNHP) Rs. 2, 425 crores; Asian Development Bank (Tumkur-Haveri) Rs. 1,128 crores.

        The Minister said that the salient features of the project are: (i) prompt decision making and faster payments to suppliers – Bonus for early completion and penalty for delays. (ii) High quality work specifications and use of state-of-the-art equipment (iii) Lean officer-oriented organisation tapping private sector efficiencies by outsourcing project preparation, work supervision and maintenance; (iv) Leveraging information technology – procurement and information dissemination by own Website; (v) Safety features like divided carriageways, service roads, grade separators and Advanced Traffic Management System and (vi) Immense economic and social benefits.

        Among those who participated in today's meeting included Dr. Ranjit Kumar Panja, Shri V. Vetriselvan, Shri A. Brahmaniah, Shri Devendra Prasad Yadav, Shri V.S. Sivakumar, Shri S.B.P.B.K. Satyanarayana Rao, Shri P.K.Samantaray and Shri Ramesheth Thakur, all Members of Parliament, besides senior officials of the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways and the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI).