Posts tagged: Nitin Gadkari

At present, under EPC projects, maintenance of National Highways is the responsibility of the government after the expiry of the defect liability period (5 years).

“The quality of roads built under EPC mode is not good. The defect liability period under EPC mode is 5 years… and within 3 years, a lot of problems occur on the roads,” Gadkari said at an event here.

The Road Transport and Highways Minister said that roads built under BOT (Build-Operate-Transfer) or HAM (Hybrid Annuity Model) mode are in good condition as the maintenance of the roads is the responsibility of the contractor and he has to pay the cost. ,

“So now we have decided, whichever road is (built) under EPC mode, we will increase the defect liability period from 5 years to 10 years,” he said.

The minister said that increasing the defect liability period for contractors will force them to build good quality roads.

EPC projects are those where the government invests the money, while the private partners only provide engineering construction support.

The HAM model of road construction is where the government partially funds the construction of national highways and BOT or Build-Operate-Transfer is where the construction risk is borne by the private concessionaire with a concession period of 20-30 years .

The National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) and the National Highways and Infrastructure Development Corporation Limited (NHIDCL) are primarily responsible for the construction of national highways and expressways in the country. The maintenance of national highways is financed by the Central Road Infrastructure Fund.

Gadkari also stressed the need to increase exports and reduce imports.

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First publication date: 27 October 2024, 09:36 am IST

Union Minister Gadkari was accompanied by Union Minister of State (MoS) for Road Transport and Highways, Ajay Tamba and Minister of State (MoS) for Tourism and Petroleum and Natural Gas Suresh Gopi as well as senior officials at the new Bharat Mandapam. Delhi.

The Central Government is actively working for the expansion of National Highways in the country. Gadkari inaugurated and laid the foundation stone of 12 national highway projects with a total length of over 105 km in January this year. 1464 crores.

According to a statement from the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways, the proposed projects aim to enhance seamless connectivity between Tamil Nadu and Kerala, thereby ensuring fast and hassle-free transportation.

The initiative promises to reduce overall transportation costs. Additionally, the focus on eliminating black spots on national highways is expected to lead to a significant reduction in road accidents, the ministry said.

It further said that the venture is set to generate substantial direct and indirect employment opportunities while promoting socio-economic development in Kerala.

Additionally, according to the ministry, better access to Munnar is expected to boost tourism potential, while the construction of a high-level bridge will eliminate a 27-kilometre detour during floods, streamline travel and promote Kerala's key products. Exports will benefit.

As per the official document, 8 major projects with total length of 198 km with total cost of Rs. Rs 4,043 crore are in various stages of progress. For 1,290 km NH, approximately Rs. Detailed Project Report (DPR) of Rs. Preparations worth Rs 27,650 crore are being made. Under Setu Bharatam, approximately Rs. 4 ROBs have been identified costing Rs. 200 crores. According to the government, these projects will prove to be a boon for Kerala's economy and tourism. Some of the landmark projects being developed in the states include Thiruvananthapuram Bypass, Thalassery – Mahe Bypass and Kuthiran Tunnel.

Three major greenfield NH projects are also in the pipeline. They are 4-lane Palakkad to Kozhikode section of NH-966, 4-lane Greenfield Road from Kochi to KL/TN ​​border section of NH-85, and 4-lane Thiruvananthapuram – Kottarakarra – Kottayam – Angamaly (MC Road).

In his written reply in the Rajya Sabha last year, Gadkari had said that the Kerala government has agreed to share 25 per cent of the land acquisition cost of Rs 5748 crore for 16 ongoing projects on NH-66, of which Rs 5581 is Rs. Rs crore have been deposited.

Additionally, he said the Kerala government has also agreed to share 25 per cent of the land acquisition cost, amounting to Rs 4440 crore, for the upcoming three greenfield NH projects.

He said the state government has agreed to share 50 per cent cost of land acquisition, 100 per cent cost of service road and exemption from state GST and royalty for the Thiruvananthapuram Outer Ring Road section of NH-866.

According to the Minister, during the last 5 years, about 160 km of NH has been constructed by NHAI in the state of Kerala.

According to data shared by the ministry in January this year, India has about 66.71 lakh km of road network, the second largest in the world. The total length of national highways is 1,46,145 km.

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First publication date: 03 October 2024, 09:06 am IST