NHAI fails to build 20 kms/day roads [June 2012]

The Govt. of India fails to achieve its ambitious target of building 20 kms road a day during the year 2011-12 as it could build an average of 10.39 kms per day. The Minister of State of road transport and highways, Jitin Prasada informed Rajya Sabha, “During 2011-2012 as against a target of 2500 km of National Highways, the NHAI has completed construction of 2248 km i.e. 6.16 km per day”.
In addition, the Ministry has also completed construction of 1,547 km i.e. 4.23 km per day of national highways through State PWDs & Border Roads Organisation. According to the Minister, “To meet the target of construction at an average rate of 20 km per day i.e. almost 7,000 km per year, it is essential that an any given point of the time, there should be almost three times of this length i.e. about 20,000 km of were awarded and under construction whereas NHAI awarded only 5,237 km during period 2007-08 to 2009-10”.
“Progress in implementation has also been affected by poor performance of some contractors, delay in obtaining forest/wild life clearances from Ministry of Environment & Forest, railway clearances, law & order problems in some states, delay in land acquisition etc.”, the Minister informed. “NHAI has begun the process of accelerating the pace of award of projects to achieve the target of construction”, he assured. NHAI awarded 5,059 km in 2010-11 and 6,491 km in 2011-12. Target for the award of projects by NHAI for the year 2012-13 is 8,800 km.

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