Restructuring the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) is the top priority for Dr C.P. Joshi, Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways. In an interview to Business Line , he says it will help handle award of 7,300 km of highways annually for the next four years. Excerpts:

What are your key priority areas?

NHAI has already achieved in 2010-11 award level of 5,080 km.

This needs to be scaled up and the target for this year is 7,300 km.

This level needs to be sustained for the next four years so that the National Highway Development Programme can be completed as far as the award is concerned.

Hence, NHAI needs to be geared up, if necessary, through some restructuring so that it can handle the higher level of award. This is our first priority.

India has the highest level of road accidents in the world and this is an image which we want to change. So, our next priority will be safety.

The purpose of infrastructure is improving the state of our people by economic development.

This purpose and objective will be served only if such growth is inclusive. This can only be ensured if the access to quality roads is available throughout the country.

There are many requests pending from the State Governments for declaring many stretches as National Highways.

We need to be selective in declaring such stretches as National Highways keeping the concept of inclusive growth central. This is our third and overriding priority.

What parameters should be used to define the users' satisfaction for the national highways, given that you are charging a toll for them?

It will be difficult to define all the parameters. However, if we can enable a user to ride in comfort with utmost safety and remove hindrances, then I would consider that a satisfactory level of service delivery.

The current documents do not make concessionaires accountable for safety. Is there a case for such a move?

The concessionaires are expected to incorporate such safety measures in the entire process of construction commencing from design stage itself. NHAI has also appointed safety consultants and safety audit is also now part of the process. Nevertheless, it will be difficult to hold the concessionaire accountable for safety if they conform to the safety requirements laid down under the process.

There are cases of concessionaires not adhering to terms of contract. Who will monitor such issues?

This is within the domain of NHAI and it has to ensure that contracts management is complete and effective.

You have proposed use of IT to bring in transparency in toll collection, bidding process, amongst others. When can we see these projects being rolled out?

Already, instructions have been given to ensure that e-tendering is adopted for all NHAI procurement processes. Irregularities in toll collection - particularly where departmental toll collection is taking place through DGRD (Director General – Road Development) - is in our notice. A substantial component of departmental toll collection has now been auctioned out.

Integrating all toll plazas, including those under the private developers, would bring in larger transparency on a corridor concept. We are working towards mechanising all these process and integrating these through application of IT. It may take a few years to get completed.

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