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The National Highways & Infrastructure Development Corporation Ltd - a fully owned company of the Union Ministry of Road, Transport & Highways – aims to award contracts to the tune of Rs 5,116 crore by the end of this fiscal.
According to Anand Kumar, Managing Director, NHIDCL, the contracts to be awarded will include 19 projects; covering 402 km of roads in “tough terrain”. Most of these contracts will be in the North East covering States of Assam (four contracts); Arunachal Pradesh (12 road stretches); and Nagaland (three contracts). Tenders from some of the projects have already been floated, he added.
The State-run NHIDCL was incorporated a year ago to fast pace construction of national highways and other infrastructure in the North East and strategic areas sharing international boundaries.
“By the end of this year we are looking to award contracts worth Rs 5,116 crore, covering at least 402 kms of road projects. Another 200 kms may be added (contracts awarded) if we are able to complete the existing bids,” Kumar said during an interactive session organised by the MCC Chamber of Commerce & industry.
Projects so far
So far the public sector company has issued 23 contracts that cover 643 kms of roads with a contracts worth Rs 7,646 crore. The projects cover the States of Tripura (2 stretches); Assam (10); Meghalaya (one) and Arunachal Pradesh (10).
Of these, 18 project s covering 600 kms of road with contracts valued at Rs 6,446 crore have been awarded in FY-15.
In the first six months of this fiscal (FY-16), it has awarded contracts worth of Rs 1,200 crore covering 5 projects and 43 kms of road stretches.
Land Acquisition
Referring to the current controversies over land acquisition, Agarwal said that land acquisition and its responsibility was a State subject i.e. the State government would have to take care of it.
“The responsibility of land acquisition, obtaining forest clearances and shifting of utilities lies with the State. It is not a matter of I versus you or the Centre versus State. But we will have to come together to create infrastructure,” he said.
Further driving home his point, the bureaucrat maintained that land acquisition be time-bound. “Land acquisition cannot be an indefinite process. Land acquisition has to be against a time frame,” he added.
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