Lok Sabha Question No. 4783 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2016-12-15
Subject: Cost of Land Acquisition
Ministry: ROAD TRANSPORT AND HIGHWAYS
Asked by: Shrirang Appa Barne, VINAYAK BHAURAO RAUT, SHIVAJI ADHALRAO PATIL

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA

## MINISTRY OF ROAD TRANSPORT & HIGHWAYS

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION No. 4783

ANSWERED ON 15 TH  DECEMBER, 2016

## COST OF LAND ACQUISITION

4783.   SHRI SHRIRANG APPA BARNE: SHRI VINAYAK BHAURAO RAUT: SHRI ADHALRAO PATIL SHIVAJIRAO:

## Will the Minister of ROAD TRANSPORT AND HIGHWAYS सड़क परिवहन औि िाजमार्ग मंत्री

be pleased to state:

- (a) the cost of land acquisition on an average in terms of Rupees per hectare for construction of NHs during the last two years and the current year;
- (b)  whether  the  Ministry  has  sought  borrowing  limit  for  the  National  highways  Authority  of India (NHAI) for the year 2017-18 and if so, the details thereof;

(c) whether the pace of NHAI's projects awarded during the April-October period of the current fiscal has slowed down as compared with projects awarded in the April-October period of the last fiscal and if so, the reasons therefor;

(d) whether there is paucity of funds for awarding projects and if so, the details thereof and if not, the reasons therefor; and

(e) the steps taken by the Government to speed up the construction work of highways to achieve the desired goal?

## ANSWER

## THE MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF ROAD TRANSPORT AND HIGHWAYS

(SHRI PON. RADHAKRISHNAN)

- (a) The average cost of land acquisition for national highway projects borne by the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) for the last two years and the current year upto October 2016 is as under:-

| Year                                |   2014-15 |   2015-16 | 2016-17 (upto Ocober, 2016)   |
|-------------------------------------|-----------|-----------|-------------------------------|
| Average LA Cost (In crores per Ha.) |      1.35 |      2.05 | 2.05 (tentative)              |

(b) to (e) No Madam. Budgetary allocation of Rs. 46027.01 cr. has been made this year for construction of National Highways.

In order to expedite land acquisition as required for  projects  of  road  and  highway construction,  expansion  and  upgradation,  the  Ministry  of  Road  Transport  and  Highways  has close  co-ordination  and  liaison  with  the  State  Governments.  Several  steps  have  been  taken  to address  issues  that  lead  to  delay  in  land  acquisition,  and  various  directions  have  been  issued, which are as under : -

- (i) Determination  of the amount  of  compensation  in  consonance  with  the  relevant provisions  contained  in  the  Right  to  Fair  Compensation  and  Transparency  in  Land Acquisition in Rehabilitation and Resettlement Act, 2013 with effect from 01.01.2015;
- (ii) Providing the necessary technical and organizational support to the revenue authorities in the State Government;
- (iii) Appointment of  additional  officers  as  Competent  Authority  for  Land  Acquisition  and Arbitrator for expediting acquisition;
- (iv) Procurement  of  land  as  per  respective  State  Government  policies  and  including  the administrative charges and other charges payable by the land acquiring department as per  the  concerned  State  Government's  policy  in  the  Land  Acquisition  estimates  for National Highway (NH) Projects;
- (v) Procurement  of  land  through  consent  where  missing  plots  are  left  out  from  the  bulk acquisition and/or additional land is required due  to alteration of alignment at implementation stage;

Further,  periodical  meetings  are  held  in  this  Ministry  with  the  State  Government authorities to review the progress of land acquisition for NH projects.

Also, to speed up the construction work of National Highways, regular meetings are held with project developers, State Government and contractors and steps are taken to streamline the regulatory clearances, as also for dispute resolution. With a view to ameliorate the shortage of equity and improve liquidity of Concessionaires, Government has also taken the following policy decisions:  one-time  fund  infusion  to  revive  and  physically  complete  languishing  national highway projects under Public-Private Partnership (PPP) mode, Rationalized Compensation to concessionaires, in case delays are not attributable to them, securitization of future cash flows, Deferment  of  Premium  in  stressed  highway  projects,  Harmonious  Substitution  in  financially stressed  highway  projects  and  100%  Equity  Divestment  after  2  years  of  construction  of  all highway projects under PPP mode.

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