PM Modi, Nitin Gadkari take note of stalled NHAI projects getting stalled due to farmers’ protests in Punjab
Nitin Jain
Ludhiana, July 12
Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Road Transport and Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari have taken note of the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) projects getting stalled due to farmers’ protests in Punjab.
Stumbling blocks
Total highways under work 1,500 km
Total cost Rs 52,000 crore
Terminated: Three projects worth Rs 3,303 crore
Termination process started: 4 projects worth Rs 4,942 crore
Stalled projects: 31 worth around Rs 42,175 crore
Both Modi and Gadkari have called separate meetings in Delhi to review the matter and have sought detailed reports from the NHAI and the Road Transport and Highways Ministry in this regard. The Tribune had highlighted the issue in its columns on Friday.
Legal implications for NHAI
Despite huge capital investment, the highway corridors will not be put to effective use due to multiple missing links. The NHAI will have to face legal and financial implications due to a delay in handing over of land. Santosh Kumar Yadav, NHAI Chairman
Full cooperation extended
We are extending full cooperation to the NHAI to undertake highway projects in the state. We will extend more help wherever required to ensure timely completion of infrastructure development schemes. Anurag Verma, Chief Secretary
What HC had ordered
Acting on a writ petition filed by the NHAI, the Punjab and Haryana High Court had on October 18, 2023, directed the state government to facilitate the NHAI in taking over possession of the acquired land.
The PM has scheduled a meeting in this regard for July 31 while Gadkari will hold a two-day meeting on July 15 and 16 to review the issue, a source in the ministry told The Tribune on Friday.
“The Delhi-Amritsar-Katra expressway, a multi-state project with 11 of the total 18 parts criss-crossing Punjab, will be the main point of discussion at the PM’s meeting,” the source disclosed.
He said the PMO had sought a detailed presentation on the current status of the projects with a brief on the issues causing obstructions.
The source said to finalise the presentation for submission before the PM, Gadkari had called all NHAI and ministry chief engineers, chief general managers, regional officers, project directors, independent engineers, executive engineers, assistant engineers, concessionaires, contractors, bankers (wherever required) and the officials concerned at the headquarters, state, divisions, the Public Works Department (PWD) Principal Secretary and other stakeholders concerned to attend the two-day meeting.
Gadkari has also sought detailed reports from the NHAI and the ministry authorities on the current status of the projects and issues being faced in completing these.
The Tribune had highlighted on Friday that unending farmers’ protests have been costing Punjab dear. This is evident from the fact that the NHAI has already terminated three national highway projects worth Rs 3,303 crore while the process has been initiated to scrap another four costing Rs 4,942 crore.
In Punjab, the NHAI is developing 1,500-km-long national highways at a cost of Rs 52,000 crore. However, a delay in the possession of acquired land and declaration of compensation coupled with tardy disbursement of awards have forced the contractors of several projects to foreclose or terminate contract agreements and raise claims against the NHAI.
Peeved over the issue, the NHAI had moved the Punjab and Haryana High Court in 2022. Subsequently, an order was passed in October 2023, directing the state to facilitate the NHAI in taking over the acquired land.
However, not much has moved on the ground and the farmers’ protests against land acquisition is leading to withdrawal of major infrastructure projects in the agrarian state.
NHAI Chairman Santosh Kumar Yadav has sought the intervention of Chief Secretary Anruag Verma to facilitate the agency in taking over the acquired land to complete the pending highway projects without further delay.
Taking cognisance of the matter, Verma held a meeting with all deputy commissioners, NHAI regional officers, project directors and the ADGP in Chandigarh on Thursday.
