Cabinet Committee on Investment meet today; might review hurdles in road sector

The Cabinet Committee on Investment (CCI), headed by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, might review the hurdles faced by the highways sector on Tuesday. CCI is likely to take stock of the issues impacting the growth of infrastructure projects in the country, in its meeting on Tuesday evening, sources said. The ministry of road transport and highways is likely to submit a presentation to CCI regarding the issues that have affected and continue to affect the progress of highway construction in the country and the ministry's attempt at alleviating the impact.

These issues include delays in land acquisition, environment and forest clearance among others. The CCI, in January this year, had asked the road ministry to prepare a list of hurdles in the sector and find solutions, with the respective ministries, to mitigate the problems.

According to sources, the road ministry has received status reports from the ministries concerned regarding the projects and it is likely to present it to the CCI, in the meeting.

The road ministry has fixed a target of giving 9,000 km of projects in 2013-14. According to the plans, more than 50 per cent of the projects would be taken up on engineering procurement construction (EPC) model. In 2011-12, the ministry was able to award 1,933 km of projects, as against the target of 9,500 km. However, this year, the ministry is hopeful of completing 4,500 km of road length.