Govt may stick to engineering-procurement-construction mode for Zojila

Zojila was conceptualised in 2013 as a BOT project that had strategic importance because of its proximity to both Pakistan and China.

Despite the focus on the build-operate-transfer (BOT) mode of road construction, the Union government is expected to stick to the engineering-procurement-construction (EPC) mode for the marquee Zojila project. The reason it is being treated as an exception is that it has a longer gestation period.

The government hopes to reduce this by pumping in its own funds.

“If the project is constructed in the EPC mode, getting land and other clearances is faster as the investment in the project is secured by the government. In case of Zojila, the project is already delayed by about six years and constructing it