Govt plans Rs 20,000 cr highways spend

To give a new thrust to the National Highway Development Programme (NHDP), the government has decided to pump in Rs 20,000 crore for six-laning of 3,000 km highways under phase-V of the programme in 2007-08.

The ambitious target involves almost 50 per cent of the entire phase -V.

The decision, taken recently by an infrastructure panel led by the prime minister, means the start of the programme's fifth phase, which was cleared by the Cabinet late last year.

The prime minister had last year stressed the need for six-laning of more highways.

Subsequently, the Ministry of Roads and Highways moved the Cabinet for approval of the programme's fifth phase, which envisages six-laning of 6,500 km of four-laned highways. Some of these stretches are part of the Golden Quadrilateral routes.

The prime minister had recently blamed corruption for the poor quality of roads. Experts say under such a scenario, though the work would be awarded during the current fiscal, when the phase gets completed, remains to be seen.

Sample this. Phase II of the NHDP, which envisages upgrade of national highways connecting North-South and East-West, is only 11 per cent complete. Under the ongoing phase III-A, only 30 km highways have been upgraded, compared with the proposed upgrade of 4,000 km highways.

Moreover, the government got phase-V cleared before phase-IV, which involves two-laning of 20,000 kms of roads in far-flung areas. Phase-IV is still on paper.

Under such a scenario, sources say it will be interesting to see how the National Highway Authority of India (NHAI) proceeds with the six-laning of national highways.

In fact, the infrastructure panel also approved awarding of work for four-laning of around 1,000 km national highways under phase-III B of the NHDP during 2007-08. This involves four-laning of 6,000 km highways.

Phase III-B was cleared by the Cabinet earlier this year. With the infrastructure committee clearing award of work under this phase, it marks the beginning of this phase too, along with phase-V.