Fund infusion, monetisation key to success

The government expects to go big time into the monestisation of operational projects

The NDA government’s ambitious Bharatmala project — an umbrella programme for the highways sector — would heavily rely on financial impetus from the government’s bank recapitalisation plan, besides the monetisation of operational assets, for a successful run. 

The government would need Rs 5.35 lakh crore for the first phase alone, covering 34,800-km roads. Though the private sector’s expectations are high on the project, Road Transport and Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari said the EPC (engineering, procurement and construction) contract mode, wherein the government puts in the entire money, would be preferred. 

“The first priority would be given to the EPC projects