NHAI to Award More Road Projects to Propel the BharatMala Programme Forward

According to recent reports, the National Highways Authority of India is set to award 3000 km of road projects in regards to push forward the BharatMala project. As per the roads and highways projects that were awarded in the last fiscal year, this autonomous organisation is set to augment the process and award more road projects this financial year. Unlike the 7200 km of road projects that NHAI awarded last year, they are considering on giving out 3000 km of such projects this year round and that too at the initial two months of the financial year.

In an issued statement, NHAI officials stated that they have given out 150 road projects stretching over 7200 km in the financial year of 2018 with an estimated expenditure of Rs. 122,000 crore. Amalgamating the projects in the last five years, NHAI has awarded projects stretching over distances of 2,860 km and the rest 4,335 km being awarded in the last financial year itself. They claimed that the road projects awarded in the FY18 were an all-time record-breaking achievement by the National Highways Authority of India ever since their foundation in 1995.

Introducing the BharatMala Project, concerning the roads and highways operation in India, NHAI has dictated their ways to better the infrastructure and induce an overall development of the sector. Several projects have been deduced under the former project and the officials are working to enhance the commute experience of every highway and road user. Owing to the initiation of this project, NHAI has decided to grant even more such road projects under this programme. There have been no formal announcements regarding the implementation and initiation of them, but everything is currently in the talks.

The distinguished NHAI officials have claimed that the increase in awarding of these road projects in FY18 is due to the BharatMala programme. They intend to give away projects stretching over 3000 km in a coming couple of months of the fiscal year itself. Under this new sanctioned BharatMala programme, a total of 232 project tenders involving 11,200 km of roads and highways, have been approved and awarded. The estimated cost of these projects cumulatively accounted over Rs. 1,96,000 crore. Much like any other hindrance and obstruction, they have been a few minor ones in this as well primarily with the land acquisition.

In a statement issued by the National Highways Authority of India, a spokesperson stated that the tendering and awarding of the road projects have ensured only after the inception of the Bharatmala Programme. They further mentioned that the implementation of the new kind of sanctioning process was put into effect in November 2017. Under this protocol, NHAI had the sole power when it comes to sanctioning any kind of engineering, procurement and construction projects. In order to streamline and make the work process even more transparent, they set up a new Projects Appraisal Committee and Cost Committee to look after the other aspects of the approved and awarded projects.

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