Hunt begins for new NHAI chief

Hunt has begun for the key post of NHAI chief with the tenure of its current chairman ending in May and the government sharpening focus on augmenting infrastructure, especially building 30 km of roads a day.
The development comes against the backdrop of the present Chairman of the National Highways Authority of India, R P Singh, having recently written to Road Transport Minister Nitin Gadkari over his alleged bypassing of the highways authority on finalisation of the dispute-resolution mechanism for stalled projects.
"We have invited applications for the post of NHAI chief, and it has nothing to do with alleged differences between NHAI chief and the Ministry," a senior Road Transport and Highways Ministry official told PTI.

"It takes two to three months to select the Chairman and the tenure of the present Chief is expiring in May," he said.
Singh, who assumed office in June 2012, had written to Gadkari after a decision was taken to clear stalled highway projects through arbitration in a meeting chaired by the Minister.
Before Singh, NHAI had been headless for nearly two years as the position of full-time Chairman at NHAI fell vacant in August, 2010 after the retirement of Brijeshwar Singh.

The government, inviting applications for the post, has said: "Chairman, NHAI is the Chief Executive of one of world's largest and most successful road development programme being carried out in India... Government of India seeks a professional who is dynamic, energetic, result-oriented and keen to play a key role in the development of National Highways in India."

A statutory body under the ministry, NHAI is entrusted with the task of implementing National Highways Development Project (NHDP), India's largest ever highways project. The importance of the body is known by the fact that it regulates 92,851 KMs of National Highways across the country.
Inviting applications by February 28, the government said it "seeks to select a Chairman in the pay scale of Rs 80,000 fixed with admissible allowances to head the NHAI".
Applications have been invited from eligible candidates with experience in the Government/Public/Private Sectors and the tenure of the Chairman will be for three years. The person will be eligible for re-appointment for a further term of two years "provided that no Chairman shall hold office as such after he has attained the age of sixty-five years".

People eligible for the post include those who have held on regular basis the post of Secretary of Additional Secretary to the Government of India for at least two years or have been full-time Director on the Board of a Schedule 'A' Central PSU engaged primarily in infrastructure.
The eligible candidates also include Chief Executive Officer or Director or persons holding an equivalent position in a public or private sector infrastructure entity, having a networth of Rs 2,000 crore, provided that they have a cooling off period of two years after resigning from job from the entity having dealings with the NHAI.