Lok Sabha Question No. 1965 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2015-12-10
Subject: Stalled NH Projects
Ministry: ROAD TRANSPORT AND HIGHWAYS
Asked by: A. ARUNMOZHITHEVAN, VINAYAK BHAURAO RAUT, ADVOCATE NARENDRA KESHAV SAWAIKAR, SHRIKANT EKNATH SHINDE, RAHUL RAMESH SHEWALE

## GOVERMNENT OF INDIA

## MINISTRY OF ROAD TRANSPORT AND HIGHWAYS

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 1965

ANSWERED ON 10 TH  DECEMBER, 2015

## STALLED NH PROJECTS

1965.  SHRI A. ARUNMOZHITHEVAN: SHRI VINAYAK BHAURAO RAUT: ADV. NARENDRA KESHAV SAWAIKAR: DR. SHRIKANT EKNATH SHINDE: SHRI RAHUL SHEWALE:

Will the Minister of ROAD TRANSPORT AND HIGHWAYS be pleased to state:

## सड़क परिवहन औि िाजमार्ग मंत्री

(a) the details of the National Highway projects presently stalled due to disputes;

(b)  whether  present  guidelines  on  review  of  these  projects  has  been  relaxed  to  speed  up  the highway projects;

(c) if so, the details thereof;

(d)  whether  concessions  are  proposed  to  be  granted  to  concessionaries  in  case  delay  is  not attributable to them; and

(e)  if  so,  the  details  thereof  along  with  other  steps  taken/being  taken  to  expedite  the  highway projects in the country?

## ANSWER

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

## (SHRI PON. RADHAKRISHNAN)

(a) No national highway (NH) projects are stalled due to disputes.

(b) to (e) Government has recently taken various policy measures to revive languishing/delayed NH projects. One of such is one time fund infusion to revive and physically complete  languishing  NH  projects  under  Public-Private  Partnership  (PPP)  mode  that  has achieved  at  least  50%  physical  completion  as  such  infusion  of  moderate  funding  can  quickly bring these projects to completion. This assistance will be provided by the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) from its overall budget corpus on loan basis for a short tenure at Bank Rate +2%. After completion of construction of such projects on Built-Operate-Transfer (BOT) (Toll)  mode,  the  first  charge  on  the  toll  receivables  shall  be  ensured  for  NHAI.  In  case  of projects  on  BOT  (Annuity)  mode,  such  loan  will  be  recovered  along  with  interest  from  the

Annuities payable to the concessionaire. Further, Government has also permitted extension of concession period for languishing NH projects on BOT (Toll) mode for the period of delay not directly  attributable  to  the  concessionaire  subject  to  the  condition  that  tenure  of  the  operation period would remain unchanged and the project has to be physically completed within the next three  years.  Similarly,  payment  of  annuities  corresponding  to  the  actual  period  of  delay  not attributable to the concessionaire in case of languishing highways projects under BOT (Annuity) mode is also envisaged. Various steps have also been taken by the Government/ NHAI to remove the hurdles affecting the construction of NH projects includes streamlining of land acquisition and regulatory clearances, close coordination with other ministries, revamped Disputes Resolution  Mechanism  etc.  NHAI  has  also  decided  not  to  award  projects  till  all  major  preconstruction  approvals  are  in-place  for  the  project  in  order  to  avoid  post  bid  delays  and litigations.

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