NEW DELHI: The top-level representatives of the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH) and road development agencies of states will get into a huddle for two days to deliberate on key issues concerning the development and delivery of highway infrastructure in the country.
Union Minister of Road Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari, along with the ministers of state in (MoRTH) Ajay Tamta and Harsh Malhotra will also attend the inaugural session of the programme which has been named “Chintin Shivir” (Contemplation Camp) starting Monday.
The two-day conclave will focus on identifying key implementation challenges and deliberating on innovative and replicable approaches, along with policy and institutional interventions to improve project delivery, quality, safety and efficiency in the highway sector. The Camp is being organized at Ekta Nagar in Gujarat.
“Road transport and public works ministers from States, along with senior officials of state public work departments (PWDs), implementing agencies and other stakeholders, have been invited to participate in the Chintan Shivir. Their participation will facilitate Centre-State coordination and exchange of field-level experiences, best practices and practical solutions,” said ministry officials.
The Chintan Shivir will feature five key thematic sessions covering PM GatiShakti and integrated infrastructure planning, Land Acquisition and Bhoomi Rashi, Model Concession Agreements and Ratings, Designing Safe Highways, and Quality Assurance and Project Monitoring.
The session on PM GatiShakti and integrated infrastructure planning will focus on coordinated and integrated planning for infrastructure development. Discussions on Land Acquisition and Bhoomi Rashi will provide an opportunity to deliberate on issues affecting project implementation and ways to facilitate smoother project execution. The session on Model Concession Agreements and Ratings will focus on relevant contractual and implementation aspects, while Designing Safe Highways will address road safety considerations in highway planning and development. The Quality Assurance and Project Monitoring session will deliberate on measures to strengthen quality, monitoring and project outcomes.
“The Chintan Shivir is envisaged as a platform for focused, outcome-oriented deliberations and actionable solutions, strengthening cooperation between the Centre and States and contributing towards the development of safer, higher-quality and future-ready highway infrastructure,” added officials.