Contracts for highways, roads after 80% land buy

Identifying land acquisition as the single biggest hurdle for delays in constructing roads and highways, the government  said on Tuesday a decision has been taken that new contracts will be given only after 80 per cent of the land required is acquired.

"Land acquisition is the biggest issue. Now contracts will be awarded if 80 per cent of the land is acquired and is in possession of National Highway Authority of India," minister for road transport and highways Kamal Nath said during the Question Hour in the Lok Sabha.

This will certainly cut the delays in completion of road and highway projects, he said.

On members' complaints regarding 'very high' toll rates in public-private partnership projects, the minister defended the existing rates and said reduced toll would mean less roads.

There has to be a balance between these two, Nath said, adding that there was no proposal to review the toll rates fixed last year.

He also informed the House that 98 per cent of work on the Golden Quadrilateral has been completed and that on the remaining two per cent was going in full swing.

NHAI has been given the responsibility of 36,000 kms of highways out of which 11,000 km have been completed. Total length of highways is about 70,500 km, he said.