NHAI may rope in experts for planning, R&D

The NHAI will soon create specialised cells for project appraisal, planning and quality assurance, standardisation and R&D, contract management, law & arbitration and road safety. Some of these cells would be headed by professionals inducted from the private sector.

According to the NHAI's restructuring plan, the project appraisal cell is to evaluate public-private partnership projects. This cell would be a multi-disciplinary unit which would have specialists in finance, statistical assessment and transport economics.

The personnel working in the cell, which would be headed by a financial analyst posted as CGM, will interact with financial and techno-commercial consultants for better project appraisals.

A planning or quality assurance cell would also be created. The planning cell would be headed by a CGM who would report directly to the chairman. The functions of this cell include planning of new projects, quality inspection and audits and promoting quality assurance initiatives.

The standardisation and R&D cell would headed by a CGM who will function under member (technical). The functions of the cell include tracking technical developments and international best practises, facilitating design consistency and standardisation undertaking R&D.

The contract management cell would be headed by a specialist who may be hired on contract basis. He will function under member (projects).

The legal and arbitration cell would again be headed by a CGM (legal) who will report to member (administration). The legal cell's functions would include legal review of contract management disputes, monitoring of dispute resolution process, legal cases pertaining to contractual matters, vetting of bid documents for deviations.

The road safety cell would be headed by a CGM who would report to member (technical) whose functions would include safety audit, collection of accident data, coordination of specific studies on road safety.