Work on 62 national highways unlikely to begin before June

Bhanu P Lohumi

Tribune News Service

Shimla, January 16

The construction of 62 national highways, sanctioned by Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari in June 2016, is unlikely to commence before June 2018 as only eight consultants have been appointed for the preparation of detailed project reports (DPRs).

The construction of these roads will commence after the DPRs are submitted and funds allocated for road project. The appointment of consultants in respect of 35 national highways has been finalised while evaluation of tenders by the ministry is in progress for 16 highways.

The consultants will prepare the DPRs of these projects and the Union government had sanctioned Rs 229.69 crore for preparing the DPRs for 3,800-km highways.

The appointment of consultants was a major challenge as these had to be selected from among 5,200 consultants of 320 companies empaneled by the ministry and the tenders with single bid were not accepted as the ministry refused to relax the conditions.

Further, the firms were not much interested in bidding for roads with small length in hilly areas and bids had to be invited for the third time for 49 projects.

The Congress, which was in power till December, and the Opposition BJP sparred over delay in DPRs but now the ball is in the court of the BJP government and the Chief Minister has directed the department to finalise consultants for all projects by March 31, 2018.

The process is lengthy and time-consuming as DPRs included minute details, including the designs of bridges and tunnels and the specifications of material used and in hilly terrain, the task becomes more challenging.

“We are expediting appointment of consultants and work on the construction of eight highways, for which consultants had been appointed, is likely to commence in June-July this year,” Additional Chief Secretary (PWD) Anil Khachi said.

A nodal officer of the Forest Department is being posted in the PWD to expedite the forest clearance and the progress of work will be monitored closely, Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur said, adding that there would be no compromise on quality and defaulting contractors would be black-listed.

In all, 69 national highways were sanctioned but the construction of Pangi-Sansasri Nallah road had been entrusted with the Border Roads Organisation (BRO), construction of Ghumarwin-Sarkaghat in Bilaspur and Ranital-Kotla highway in Kangra district had been completed and only notification is to be issued by the ministry while three highways are being constructed by the National Highways Infrastructure Development Corporation.