NHAI to re-invite tenders for terminated projects: Gadkari
In a major development, Union Minister of Road Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari has announced that the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) will invite fresh tenders and re-award the work for the terminated and stalled highway projects in Punjab.
The development assumes significance as three Greenfield national highway projects in Punjab, having length of 104 km, with the total capital cost amounting to Rs 3,264 crore, had been recently terminated/withdrawn. This had happened due to non-availability of land as per the conditions of the NHAI within stipulated timelines.
Later, the Centre had taken a serious view of the projects getting stalled for want of land and Gadkari had threatened to cancel all stalled highways.
Rising to the occasion, Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann and former Chief Secretary Anurag Verma had pulled out all the stops to provide acquired land for the construction of highways while engaging with farmers, who were protesting against what they called “meagre” compensation for their land.
In a demi-official letter to Rajya Sabha MP Sanjeev Arora, a copy of which is with The Tribune, the minister said he had directed the NHAI to take early action for inviting fresh tenders and re-award the work, which would otherwise might not be feasible if the possession of land was not timely ensured by the state government.
“Hence, I would suggest you to take up the matter with the state government to extend due cooperation to the NHAI for expeditious land acquisition, so that the work can be started,” Gadkari wrote.
Arora had given a representation to Gadkari for resuming the construction of Southern Ludhiana Bypass. The 25.24-km Greenfield highway was among the terminated/stalled NHAI projects for want of land.
Responding to the MP’s representation, Gadkari said, “I have got the matter examined and would like to inform you that the project was already awarded by the NHAI. However, the work could not be started due to unavailability of minimum possession of land... even after a year of the award of work. Hence, the letter of award was withdrawn on the request of the bidder.”
Arora had apprised Gadkari that the six-lane bypass was crucial for Ludhiana as it was meant to significantly decongest traffic within the city and enhance connectivity between rural and urban areas, benefitting lakhs of commuters and business owners.
“Restore the project at the earliest possible opportunity,” the parliamentarian had demanded, while assuring to work with the state government and the district authorities to expedite the acquisition of any remaining land parcels for the highways.
