Work on NH-29 halted, NHAI mulls changing concessionaire

Bijendra Ahlawat

Tribune News Service

Faridabad, February 19

The contract of the Rs 3,000-crore six-laning and maintenance project of National Highway-29 connecting Delhi and Agra is on the verge of termination, it is learnt.

The National Highway Authority of India (NHAI) is mulling substituting the concessionaire of the highway soon in view of the alleged failure on the part of the latter to carry on the work for the past over three months.

“The matter has already been taken up with the head office (New Delhi) and the work of substitution of the concessionaire is almost certain in about a month’s time. The company has failed to continue with the construction of at least three flyovers (elevated bridges) and the work of regular maintenance of the highway between Badarpur border (Delhi) and Agra for the past three months,” said an official of the NHAI on the condition of anonymity.

The toll tax collection on this passage has also been taken over by the government besides seizing the bank account in which the toll money had been deposited, it is claimed.

The BOT (built-operate-transfer) based contract was awarded to the company by NHAI in October 2012 for 26 years, it is revealed.

Though it is claimed that 98 per cent work of six-laning (widening) of the highway till Agra in Uttar Pradesh has been completed, the work of construction of three flyovers between Faridabad and Palwal has been hanging for the past few months.

While the work of 2.7-km-long elevated flyover at Palwal has been suspended for the past six months due to some financial dispute between the concessionaire and the contractor associated with it, the work on two flyovers slated to come up at Jharsently and Bamnikhera villages of Faridabad and Palwal districts has also been lying suspended for the past three months.

“As the construction, maintenance and repair works on the highway have been in a halted state for some months, the NHAI is reportedly considering replacing the present agency,” said DC Yashpal Yadav.

PK Singh, an official of the Delhi-Agra Toll Road (DATR), an agency of the concessionaire looking after the maintenance work, however said that he had no information about the move regarding the project’s contract “termination”. He claimed that the work was likely to be resumed in a month’s time.

Financial dispute stalls Palwal flyover construction

An NHAI official said the concessionaire had failed to continue with the construction of at least three flyovers (elevated bridges) between Faridabad and Palwal and the work of regular maintenance of the highway between Badarpur border (Delhi) and Agra for the past three months. Work on the 2.7-km-long elevated flyover at Palwal has been suspended for six months due to financial dispute between the concessionaire and the contractor associated with it, work on two flyovers slated to come up at Jharsently and Bamnikhera villages of Faridabad and Palwal districts has also been suspended for three months.