Indra’s Drishtikona (Viewpoint)

Roads - the life line for the country

Posted : September 30, 2004 at 12:26 pm [IST]

Roads are of primary necessity and provide physical connectivity. Fortunately, this was realized by the NDA government in big way. GQ and N-S and E-W corridors of expressways were conceived and work started on war footing, though the speed couldn’t be maintained till end. This government is also giving the same importance to this sector. Some facts are as follows:
” The ambitious highway development programme started in 1999.
” 14,000 kilometres of highways are to be upgraded to four or six lanes under phase 1 and 2 of the NHDP
” About Rs 10,000 crore (over $2 billion) investment has produced over 3,400 km of world class roads. The investment is already paying off, with freight movement by road and truck sales increasing. India led the major nations with 43% growth in sales of commercial vehicles in the first half of 2004.
” The ‘golden quadrilateral’ is expected to be ready by 2005 end now.
” By 2007, another Rs 45,000 crore ($10 billion) should have been invested on this programme.
” Another 10,000 kilometres will be upgraded under phase 3, better known as the Pradhan Mantri Bharat Jodo Pariyojana (PMBJP). The phase 3 stretches were identified on the basis of traffic density and connectivity to centres of economic and tourist importance.
” Nearly $ 38 billion out of the Dr. Man Mohan Singh’s estimate of$150 billion for infrastructure sector will be required by the roads sectors alone.
” The new UPA intends to take up the upgradation of an additional 34,000 kilometres of National Highways, as part of the National Highway Development Programme (NHDP).
” According to estimates, the cost of converting two-lane highways into four-laned roads works out to around Rs 4 crore per kilometre.
” Over 2.5 lakh of the country’s 6.38 villages have no road connection, though India has 3 million km of roads second only to the US. So, another project called Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana was to cover 1,02,000km and 35,576 villages were to be connected. Work on 57,590 km has been completed. The number of habitations connected since 2001 is at 15,875 against the targeted 35,576 habitations. More than Rs 2,000 crore of the total grant for the Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana ( PMGSY) is lying unspent
” The rural development ministry has estimated a shortfall of Rs 93,000 crore for completion of the project. The deadline for completion of the project has already been extended by five years to 2011-12. The project was initially scheduled to be completed by 2007.
” Of the 28 states, 10 have not completed even 50 per cent of the work. The situation is particularly disturbing in states like Bihar (20.5.%), Assam (27%), and . Jammu and Kashmir(5%). Nineteen of the 28 states have not even come up with project proposals.

According to a study conducted by four-S Services, India needs to invest Rs 2,10,350 crore in the roads sector. Other findings are worth a look at:
” If India is to achieve 8 per cent target GDP growth for the Tenth Plan period, the proportion of investment in roads to the total investment has to increase by 17.25 per cent.
” Nearly 20 per cent of India’s national highway continued to be single-laned. Further, only 20 per cent of paved roads were in good condition compared to 70 per cent in Korea and more than 85 per cent in the US.
” Highways and expressways accounted for a mere 1.77 per cent of India’s total geographical spread. In contrast, the share of highways and expressways was estimated at 14.09 per cent in China.
” The private projects in the National Highway Development Programme (NHDP) witnessed a 3.5 per cent slippage in time targets as against a 65 per cent slippage in projects funded by the National Highway Development Authority of India (NHAI).

” Private participation is the key to efficient road building in the country, especially with the dates of completion for the golden quadrilateral and the North-South-East-West corridors being extended. At present, only 17% of the highways are open to the private sector, translating into a value of Rs 4,000 crore, or just 6% of the total costs of the highway programme.
” In comparison, China is targeting private participation worth $50 billion to build 35,000 km of roads at a cost of $150 billion. India’s highway development programme is smaller, with the NHDP and the Pradhan Mantri Bharat Joro Pariyojana accounting for 23,500 km of road development at a total cost of $25 billion.
” The system of multiple agencies means obtaining clearances from NHAI, Public Works Department, Roads and Highways Department, Planning Commission and Ministry of External Affairs that ideally should be handled by one agency only..
” Tighter bidding process to avoid awarding projects to those who do not have the capacity to execute high quality projects has been suggested in addition to a three-stage model followed by the World Bank.
” There was also a need for integrated contracts with long concession periods which combined construction with operation and maintenance, to improve quality of maintenance of roads.

I have only few suggestions to this programme to expedite the road programme. One side of the banks of all the irrigation canals in the country can be converted to metal road. Hereafter, for the new canals, it must be integrated in design. The responsibility should be with only one department and not many agencies such as canal with irrigation department, road with PWD and plantation with forest department. Similar approach may be taken while building roads too. For earth filling, a plot should be earmarked at regular distances and it should be functioning as water storage tank for conservation of rain water. With innovative approach and a thrust on implementation, the government can bring the desired change and growth of the rural areas

- Indra

Category: Government Policy/Administration |