NHAI chief gets 3-month extension

The government today said it has extended the tenure of National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) Chief RS Gujaral till June 30 and process is on for appointing a regular chairman on the post.

Gujaral, the Road Transport and Highways Secretary, was given additional charge of NHAI chairman for three months with effect from January 1 this year after expiry of the tenure of former chief Brijeshwar Singh in December 2010.

"We have given extension to Gujaral for another three months. Meanwhile, the process is on for selection of a regular chairman for NHAI," Road Minister CP Joshi said.

The government, almost a year ago, had constituted a panel under Cabinet Secretary KM Chandrasekhar to select a candidate for the post as former chairman Singh was scheduled to retire in August 2010. But a regular chairman could not be appointed till date.

The committee had interviewed about a dozen candidates, including then Civil Aviation Secretary M Madhavan Nambiar besides Singh and Gujaral.

However, owing to delays, Singh, a 1975 cadre IAS officer, was given extension from September 2010 to November 2010 and then till December 2010.

The government had initiated the selection process for the NHAI chairman twice. It had advertised for the post with a five-year term for the second time in June last year.

The initial appointment committee was scrapped after a controversy erupted over former Road Secretary Brahm Dutt applying for the coveted post, even though he was a member of the selection committee.

Those who had applied for a second time included former NHAI member KS Money; former Urban Development Secretary M Ramachandran and former Civil Aviation Secretary M Madhavan Nambiar besides Gujral and Singh.

The government had said the eligibility criteria for the post included at least 15 years of experience in the field of finance and financial management, besides holding the post of Secretary to the government of India or its equivalent.

The regular appointment on the post holds importance as besides other crucial highways programmes, NHAI is implementing National Highways Development Project, one of the largest road development programmes undertaken by a single authority in the world.

The programme involves widening, upgrading and rehabilitation of about 54,000 km under seven phases.

The government has envisaged a massive investment of Rs 3 lakh crore under NHDP and 60 per cent of it is estimated to come from the private sector.

Also, the Road Ministry has set a target of building 20 km of roads a day and as per the programme NHAI will have to award at least 7,300 km this fiscal.