Govt plans to fund highways by issuing bonds with attractive returns

Gadkari said the government might raise funds by issuance of bonds and proposed an attractive rate of return of around 7.5-8 per cent

As the Union government grapples with financial challenges, it plans to raise money by issuance of bonds at attractive returns and encourage greater private participation in the road sector, Union Highway Minister Nitin Gadkari said in Parliament on Tuesday. 

“Good roads and expressways save time and fuel… people will have to pay for it; the government does not have money to make expressways toll-free. If you want good services, you have to pay for it,” Gadkari said in the Lok Sabha on Tuesday. 

To battle the financial woes, the government has also shifted focus to the BOT (Build-Operate-Transfer) projects and is