NHAI tweaks strategy for project implementation under Bharatmala Pariyojana

NHAI has tweaked its strategy for implementation of projects under the Bharatmala Pariyojana. It has decided to consider only those projects which require minimal land acquisition while finalising highway contracts worth about Rs 3 trillion under the programme. The authority has decided to change the weightage it gives to different factors while planning projects. Earlier, freight movement and revenue from projects were given precedence over land acquisition. This shift in priority is a result of land compensation costs, which witnessed an increase after the Right to Fair Compensation and Transparency in Land Acquisition, Rehabilitation and Resettlement Act, 2013, was enacted in January 2014. Before the act, the land acquisition cost made up 10 per cent of project cost, and this has now increased to 30-40 per cent. The MoRTH and NHAI have already finalised a list of projects to be awarded in the near future. The land acquisition process and other regulatory approvals for these projects have already been completed.