Plan to auction highways to players for maintenance, operation

The government is looking at the option of auctioning operations and maintenance of National Highways to domestic and international players.
"In order to increase the private participation in highway sector, auctioning operation and maintenance of National Highways to domestic and international players is one of the options," said Minister of State for Road Transport and Highways Pon Radhakrishnan.
He informed the Lok Sabha that the "option is at conceptual stage."
Last month, Road Transport and Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari had said his ministry plans to sell 112 projects completed through government funds to foreign insurance and pension funds.
"The ministry has 112 projects, completed through government funds, which have been earmarked for selling to foreign insurance and pension funds," he said.

Many foreign funds are ready to extend funding of Rs 2-3 lakh crore on 0.50 per cent interest, he had said.
The Indian road network of 33 lakh kms is the second largest in the world and consists of 92,851 kms of National Highways, which constitutes only 1.7 per cent of the road network but carry about 40 per cent of the total road traffic.
The government earlier this year had auctioned 29 coal blocks besides allotment of 38 mines which in turn would result in an estimated revenue of Rs 3.35 lakh crore to coal-bearing states.