Lok Sabha Question No. 882 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2019-02-07
Subject: Maintenance of NHs
Ministry: ROAD TRANSPORT AND HIGHWAYS
Asked by: NIHAL CHAND CHAUHAN

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF ROAD TRANSPORT AND HIGHWAYS

## LOK SABHA

## UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 882 ANSWERED ON 7 TH  FEBRUARY, 2019

## MAINTENANCE OF NHS

## 882. SHRI NIHAL CHAND:

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

be pleased to state:

- (a)  whether  the  Government  is  giving  proper  attention  to  repair  and  maintenance  of  National Highways (NHs);
- (b) the role of States in repair and maintenance of National Highways;
- (c) the funds allocated for maintaining and repairing of National Highways during the last two years;
- (d)  whether  there  is  an  increase  in  allocation  of  fund  in  comparison  to  previous  years  for maintaining and repairing of National Highways; and
- (e) if so, the details thereof?

## ANSWER

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

## (SHRI MANSUKH L. MANDAVIYA)

- (a) The Development and Maintenance of National Highways (NHs) is a continuous process. The works are accordingly taken up on NHs from time to time as per inter-se-priority, traffic density, and availability of funds to keep the NHs in traffic worthy conditions.

The inter-se priority for carrying out Maintenance and Repair (M&R) of NHs generally depends upon nature and extent of damages, overall condition of NH stretches, traffic density, minimum works required to be undertaken to ensure traffic worthiness of NHs, the NH stretches under Defect Liability Period (DLP) obligation or stretches under Build, Operate and Transfer (BOT)/ Hybrid Annuity Mode (HAM)/ Operate, Maintenance and Transfer (OMT) Concessions, ongoing works on NHs, status of action taken up for new developmental works, availability of funds, etc.

Usually, the Annual Outlay earmarked for M&R of NHs have been about 35% to 40% of the estimated requirement of funds as per the Ministry's norms. This leads to the compulsion of thin  spreading  of  available  resources.  Efforts  are  made  to  keep  the  NHs  in  traffic  worthiness within available resources as per inter-se priority and traffic density.

- (b) The M&R of NHs are implemented on the agency basis. The State Governments (State Public  Works  Departments  (PWDs),  Road  Construction  Departments  (RCDs),  etc.),  National Highways  Authority  of  India  (NHAI),  National  Highways  and  Infrastructure  Development Corporation Limited (NHIDCL) and Border Roads Organisation (BRO) are the main agencies of the Ministry. The responsibility of maintenance of NHs rests with the agency to which the NH stretch is entrusted.
- (c) to (e) The year-wise details of funds allocated for M&R of NHs during last four years are as follows:-

| Year    | Allocation of Funds for M&Rof NHs (Rs. in crore)   |
|---------|----------------------------------------------------|
| 2014-15 | 2,599.25                                           |
| 2015-16 | 2,698.40                                           |
| 2016-17 | 2,846.68                                           |
| 2017-18 | 2,875.75                                           |

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