Punjab NHAI projects not discussed at review meet chaired by PM Modi

Tribune News Service

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Ludhiana, August 28

The national highway projects underway in Punjab were not taken up at a meeting held by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in New Delhi today. The PM reviewed the current status vis-à-vis land acquisition, possession and construction of major highways being undertaken by the NHAI in various states across the country.

Meanwhile, Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann has called a multi-department meeting in Chandigarh on Thursday to review the progress of the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) projects in the state.

This is for the first time that the CM will hold a meeting to review the highway projects.

The PWD Minister, Chief Secretary, Special Chief Secretary (Revenue and Rehabilitation), Principal Secretary (Water Resources), Secretary (Power), Secretary (Mines and Geology) and Secretary (PWD) have been called for the meeting to be chaired by the CM at his office at 12 noon on Thursday.

“I have been directed to inform you that the CM will hold a meeting with the Department of Public Works regarding issues related to the NHAI projects on August 29 at 12 noon at the CM’s office in Chandigarh. Hence, you are requested to make it convenient to attend the meeting along with the officials concerned,” the CM’s Deputy Principal Secretary Yash Pal Sharma wrote, while asking the PWD to issue notices to other ministries and officials concerned.

The CM’s initiative assumes significance as several highway projects have been stalled in the state for the past some time following farmers’ protest against land acquisition.

Union Minister of Road Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari reviewed the progress of NHAI projects in Punjab on July 15 before shooting off a strongly worded letter to the CM on August 9, warning to cancel/terminate eight more highway projects having already terminated three in the recent past.

In New Delhi, the NHAI’s flagship Delhi-Amritsar-Katra expressway project, which was top on agenda, was left out of discussion at the high-level PRAGATI meeting chaired by the PM.

Seven significant projects costing over Rs 76,500 crore were reviewed at the meeting, including two road connectivity projects, two rail projects and one project each relating to the coal, power and water resources sectors. These related to 11 states and UTs, namely Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Jharkhand, Maharashtra, Rajasthan, Gujarat, Odisha, Goa, Karnataka, Chhattisgarh and Delhi.

Senior functionaries of the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways, NHAI, and other states made presentations, explaining the importance of various project corridors. The presentations specifically mentioned whether the project was part of any economic corridor, NHDP etc.

“Each state and agency also submitted an issue-wise draft response on the current status of individual matters, indicating whether these are unresolved, partially resolved or fully resolved,” a senior officer told The Tribune over the phone from New Delhi.

He said four “time-stamped” photographs related to each issue and drone videos of all projects being implemented through the NHAI, indicating the progress over the past three months, were also taken on record.

“We were prepared to present our case, but the Delhi-Amritsar-Katra expressway was not discussed,” a senior Punjab officer said, while expressing hope that it would be taken up at the next PRAGATI review meeting.