Big Challenge Is To Ensure Construction Starts At The Earliest

There is a perception that government expenditure over the next few months will be focused more on healthcare and disaster management, leading to lower spends on key infrastructure projects, including highways. Nitin Gadkari, Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways, spoke to Business Today’s Nirbhay Kumar on how the government plans to restart key projects.

- Nirbhay Kumar

Over the past five years, road building has picked up pace. How would government ensure the growth momentum continues despite the challenges posed by the coronavirus pandemic?

The government focus on developing a robust infrastructure has been paying dividends. In 2014, the highways sector was in a bad shape with construction falling to 4 km per day in the last quarter of the fiscal. Huge NPAs were staring at concessionaires, there was delay in land acquisition, and various statutory approvals had multiplied problems. However, after removing bottlenecks, fast-tracking decision making, and introducing innovative models like Hybrid Annuity Model, confidence of contactors and concessionaires has been boosted. The pace of construction has risen to 30 km per day.

The National Highways sector is not isolated from the challenges posed by the global coronavirus pandemic. Right now the big challenge is to ensure construction starts at the earliest. I have spoken to our stakeholders and they have made adequate arrangements to face this challenge. Workers at sites have been provided necessary health and hygiene protection and food. I am confident that within a short span of time we may be able to overcome this crisis.

There are apprehensions that government may shift its focus to health and disaster management in the short term, and the highway programme could suffer. Is that likely?