Need to fast-track highway projects: Gadkari

Union Minister Nitin Gadkari today said there is an urgent need to fast-track highway projects besides expeditious resolution of problems such as land acquisition and green clearance.
The Road Transport and Highways Minister, who reviewed the projects by NHAI, said, "While a record 16,271 km of National Highways have been awarded and 8,231 km constructed during the year 2016-17, work needs to be done at a much faster pace to award more projects and construct those that have been awarded."
The Minister emphasised on fast-tracking the award and construction of National Highway projects, as per an official statement by the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways.

He said an award will be constituted for the best performing Project Director and Regional Officer of the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI).
About expressways the Minister said, "Mumbai-Vadodara, Bengaluru-Chennai and Delhi-Amritsar-Katra Expressways are to be sanctioned by June 2017."
Tenders for 33 wayside amenities are also to be floated by June 2017.

Besides, electronic toll collection will be made available on all lanes on all toll plazas by March 31, 2018.
Referring to the problem of land acquisition as one of the hurdles in implementation of projects, Gadkari called for positive cooperation with the concerned state governments to tackle the issue.

He also called for expeditious resolution of issues like forest clearances, appointment of independent engineers and change of scope, among other issues.