NEW DELHI: To speed-up stalled highways projects and achieve the target of constructing 30-km of per-day within the next two years, the government is planning to train smaller players and contractors so that small parcels or stretches (2 km to 6 km) of highways that are usually refused by big players are taken care of.
Roads and highways construction activity came to a standstill during the earlier government’s regime (barely 2km of roads were being constructed per day) due to lack of clarity on policy, frequent changes in the model concession agreements and land acquisitions posed a big hindrance in roads and highways construction.
“As a part of skill development and to expedite roads and highways construction we will train small and marginal contractors so that smaller stretches of highways that are usually refused by big players can be handed over to them,” an official said.
The sector has been plagued by problems of land acquisition, clearances from forest and environment authorities, cost escalation, and legal disputes between the contractors and authorities had till recently left the roads and highways projects less attractive for big construction companies which chose to keep away from the sector.
“Training small marginal players”, the official said “would have two major advantages, one we would impart skill development and after initial training they would be able to bid for small unencumbered pieces of highways that the big players refuse to participate because the economies of scale does not work out for them.”
Earlier speaking to the media on completion of 100-days in office Road Transport and Highways minister Nitin Gadkari had said “In two years time Road Transport and Highways Sector will undergo revolutionary changes. Transport and Shipping sectors will contribute at least 2 per cent increase in the country’s gross domestic product in two years span.”
The government is laying special emphasis on roads and highways construction especially in the hill states of Jammu and Kashmir and work is underway on projects worth Rs 28,000 crore in the state and projects worth Rs 10,141 crore have been sanctioned in North East besides seven road packages worth Rs 12,500 crore have been cleared for work on new highway alignment in the Uttarakhand to construct roads away from the rivers.
“Upon completion of training and necessary formalities we hope the small and marginal contractors would be in a position to take up projects in these and as well as other states. This will help expedite the construction and meet the government’s target of constructing 30 km per,” the official added.