Road construction on BOT basis, says PM

All future road construction projects, barring a few, will be through the
build-operate-transfer (BOT) route, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh announced today.

"We have decided that all future road construction, barring a few exceptions, will be through the BOT route. This will provide additional investment opportunities for private capital," Singh said.

Finance minister P Chidambaram will soon provide further details of the special purpose vehicle (SPV) being set up for providing investment capital for infrastructure projects, Singh added.

He said railway minister Lalu Prasad mentioned in his budget speech the introduction of special container trains, and added that "this should be a major step forward towards infrastructure development."

"I believe we are on the right track. If the momentum is sustained, we will be able to address the infrastructure problem," he said highlighting the progress in civil aviation reflected by the current boom in airlines.

Stressing the need to pay attention in a sustained manner to infrastructure deficit, Singh said the committee on infastructure headed by him has been systematically addressing policy issues to enhance investment and create a policy framework for attracting private capital.