NHAI awarded projects spanning 7,400 km in 2017-18

The National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) awarded 150 road projects spanning 7,400 km in 2017-18. The total estimated cost of the projects is Rs 1,220 billion. In comparison, the average length of road projects awarded by NHAI during the previous five years was 2,860 km, with 4,335 km being awarded in 2016-17. There has been an increase in the tendering and award of projects after the launch of the Bharatmala programme and a new procedure for sanction being put in place in November 2017. Under the new protocol, NHAI’s board has been granted full powers for the sanctioning of engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) projects.  Following this move, a high-powered project appraisal committee and a cost committee were put in place in NHAI. Since then, tenders have been issued for 232 projects involving around 11,200 km of road length and worth more than Rs 1,960 billion. To expedite land acquisition, a number of retired officers were employed and strong monitoring mechanisms were put in place. NHAI is also expected to award about 3,000 km of projects in the first two months of 2018-19. Of the projects awarded, 3,791 km were awarded on an EPC mode at a cost of Rs 430 billion, 3,396 km was awarded on a hybrid annuity basis at a cost of Rs 765 billion and 209 km on a toll basis at a cost of Rs 25 billion. The projects awarded span 1,234 km in Rajasthan, 739 km in Maharashtra, 747 km in Odisha, 725 km in Uttar Pradesh, 511 km in Tamil Nadu, 504 km in Andhra Pradesh, 468 km in Karnataka, 449 km in Gujarat, 389 km in Madhya Pradesh, 331 km in Haryana, 232 km in Bihar, 201 km in Jharkhand, 189 km in Telangana, 126 km in West Bengal, 120 km in Punjab, 100 km in Jammu & Kashmir, and the balance length in other states.