Shahnawaz Khan
New Delhi..,The Minister for Road Transport & Highways, Shri Kamal Nath today held a marathon meeting with the highways developers, contractors, NHAI officials and Project Directors to review the progress of 73 ongoing projets in the states of Uttar Pradesh,Bihar, Madhya Pradesh and Andhra Pradesh. Shri Nath heard the problems and views of the contractors of each project, and issued instructions to solve their problems. He stressed on the need for a change in the attitude of all the stakeholders to put the Indian road sector on the fast track to development. He emphasized continious monitoring of each project by the concerned Member of NHAI Board, Chief General Managers and Project Directors. He stressed on the need for better contract mangement on the part of contractors and supervisory consultants . The Minister underlined the need for accuracy in preprations of DPRs so as to address many issues brought up by contractors at the meeting. On the contractors’ demands for better dispute resolution and arbitratiion issues, Shri Nath instructed the officials to expediate payments towards variations in the contracts and ensure swifter dispute resolution. He also said that the state government must be pursued to resolve problems relating to land acquisitions. The contractors also raised problems relating to environmental clearances (with regard to forests) to which the Minister said, they need to be taken up promptly wth the Environment Ministry.
The meeting was the first in the series of the meetings which Shri Nath would undertake to review the state wise progress of the National Highway Development Programme(NHDP). The Minister of state for Road Transport & Highways Shri RPN Singh, Shri Bhram Dutt, Secretary, Road Transport & Highways, Shri Brijeshwar Singh Chairman, NHAI were also present at the meeting.
Of the 73 projects reviewd, 7 projects (with total length of 400 km) were on Annuity mode and the majority of the remaining on EPC mode. It included projects for a length of 584 km in Madhya Pradesh, 1140 km in Uttar Pradesh,757 Km in Andhra Pradesh and 487 km in Bihar.
Shri Nath had also held meetings with the developers and other stake holders in the last month but this is first time state wise project review meeting was held at the highest level
