Govt to build 30 km road per day from 2016: Gadkari
23 Nov 2014 4:22 AM IST
The highway construction story had come to virtual standstill in the UPA regime for reasons ranging from lack of environmental clearances, lack of clarity in land acquisition, frequent changes in terms of agreement or the model code of concession and also lack of investor confidence.
‘Right now, the total road construction has gone down... Road projects worth about Rs 60,000 crore are stuck, mainly due to reasons such as land acquisition and environment and forest clearances,’ Gadkari told reporters.
Gadkari assured that the stalled projects would be up and running in the next three months as his ministry is trying for faster clearances.
‘When these projects start, some will take one year or more to complete. Right now, the average construction is to the tune of three km per day. After two years, I aim to take this target to 30 km per day,’ Gadkari said.
He said the government will build these roads by awarding engineering, procurement and construction contracts.
Earlier Kamal Nath, who was the highways minister in the UPA government in 2009 had set a target of constructing 20-kms of road per day but only less than half that goal was achieved due to hurdles such as delays in getting environment and forest clearances and land acquisition.
Gadkari, who also holds the shipping, rural development, panchayati raj and drinking water and sanitation portfolios, said he will head a group that will review the progress of the civil aviation and railway ministries, along with roads and ports, on a monthly basis.
‘Principal secretary to the Prime Minister and cabinet secretary will also be part of that group, the first meeting of which will be taken by me in the next 10 days,’ he said.
‘Right now, the total road construction has gone down... Road projects worth about Rs 60,000 crore are stuck, mainly due to reasons such as land acquisition and environment and forest clearances,’ Gadkari told reporters.
Gadkari assured that the stalled projects would be up and running in the next three months as his ministry is trying for faster clearances.
‘When these projects start, some will take one year or more to complete. Right now, the average construction is to the tune of three km per day. After two years, I aim to take this target to 30 km per day,’ Gadkari said.
He said the government will build these roads by awarding engineering, procurement and construction contracts.
Earlier Kamal Nath, who was the highways minister in the UPA government in 2009 had set a target of constructing 20-kms of road per day but only less than half that goal was achieved due to hurdles such as delays in getting environment and forest clearances and land acquisition.
Gadkari, who also holds the shipping, rural development, panchayati raj and drinking water and sanitation portfolios, said he will head a group that will review the progress of the civil aviation and railway ministries, along with roads and ports, on a monthly basis.
‘Principal secretary to the Prime Minister and cabinet secretary will also be part of that group, the first meeting of which will be taken by me in the next 10 days,’ he said.
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