Full Budget funding for NHAI may continue for a decade

TOLL REVENUES TO SUFFICE FOR CAPEX NEEDS IN A FEW YEARS

- PRASANTA SAHU

TO MAINTAIN TRANSPARENCY and sustainability, the Centre will likely continue to shoulder the massive capital expenditure requirements of the state-run infrastructure builder—the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI)—for the next decade or so, until it becomes self-sufficient through adequate toll revenue generation.

Once the proposed highway network is completed across the country, maintenance activities will constitute the majority of the capital expenditure, significantly easing the financial burden on NHAI.

“At that point in time, the budget support would be discontinued as the highway builder would have enough resources of its own from toll revenues,” an official said.