 "Six Golden Quadrilateral projects running behind schedule")
Even twelve years after their launch, at least six schemes under the much-hyped Golden Quadrilateral road project are running behind schedule by up to nine years, a top government official said today.
The Golden Quadrilateral project aims to connect the four metropolis-- Delhi, Kolkata, Mumbai and Chennai.
"At least four of the projects on Chennai-Kolkata route and two on Mumbai-Chennai network are running behind schedule by 25-118 months though the Golden Quadrilateral project is 99.99% complete," a Road Transport and Highways Ministry official told PTI.
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The projects are -- Bhubaneshwar-Khurda, Balsore-Bhadrak, Ganjam-Icchapuram and Sunakhala-Ganjam on National Highways 5, 6 and 60 on Chennai to Kolkata route. Two others are Haveri-Harihar and Harihar-Chitradurga on NHs 4,7 and 46 on Mumbai to Chennai route.
These projects entail an expenditure of Rs 1,238.45 crore, the official said, adding that the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI), which is executing the same is hopeful of completion of the schemes soon.
The project, a network of highways connecting India's four top metropolitan cities, forming a quadrilateral, was launched by the NDA government in 2001.
The official said the project was delayed mainly due to problems like delays in land acquisition, forest and environment clearances and other regulatory hurdles besides issues like law and order in some states and shifting of utilities.
Earlier, a Parliamentary panel while slamming NHAI for delays in completing projects like Golden Quadrilateral had said that it reflected either tardy planning or deficiency in execution.