06-02-2008, 10:18 AM
<!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin-->Â <b>Highway to nowhere </b>
The Pioneer Edit Desk
NHAI founders as UPA watches
It is deeply unfortunate that the National Highways Development Programme has recorded the lowest ever progress rate under the UPA Government over the past year. The latest statistics on progress in various regions is not at all encouraging; indeed, the future of highways development appears extremely bleak unless there is a regime change or a change in the mindset of the incumbent Government. The National Highways Authority of India has posted a 56 per cent project completion rate across all phases of the NHDP in 2007-2008 -- this despite tall claims to the contrary. This is the lowest in the last four years, and much lower than the speed of project implementation during the NDA years. <b>Even die-hard optimists would say that it's a dismal report card. In contrast, the project completion rate was 81 per cent in 2004-2005, 78 per cent in 2006-2007, 73 per cent in 2005-06. That was before the NDA-imparted speed lost momentum. Similarly, the project award rate is down from 70 per cent in 2005-2006 to 17 per cent in 2007-2008. What is worse is the progress on the Golden Quadrilateral and the North-South, East-West corridors has been very slow.</b> This led the Committee on Infrastructure, which is chaired by the Prime Minister, to express acute dissatisfaction with NHAI's progress. Strange as it may sound, this amounted to the Prime Minister admitting his Government's utter failure on this front which is crucial to infrastructure development. Subsequently he has done little to correct the situation. The picture that has emerged after a Planning Commission review of NHAI's various projects conducted last month, painted in the bleakest of colours, underscores this point.
The Planning Commission has pointed out that the NHAI is taking 20 months on an average to award a project against a set timeframe of five months. It has also been reported that other than work being sluggish on these projects, investments have also been slow, thanks to a listless NHAI. In its defence, the NHAI has argued that the slowdown in investments is because the Government is yet to notify and approve the new toll rules and Model Concession Agreements for toll collection. It has also claimed that there is a dearth of technical and financial staff, shortage of raw materials as well as shortage of skilled manpower in the industry. There is no doubt that these reasons are valid to some extent, but to stress them beyond a point serves little or no purpose other than passing on the buck, which Government agencies excel in. For, neither the NHAI nor the government can deny that there appears to be inefficency all around. Highways are important infrastructure projects and hold the key to rapid economic development. This simple point is lost on the UPA Government. The Congress, of course, will point a finger at the DMK because it controls the relevant Ministry. But what about the <b>Congress, which leads the UPA? And a Prime Minister who is totally clueless about his Government's performance? </b>
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The Pioneer Edit Desk
NHAI founders as UPA watches
It is deeply unfortunate that the National Highways Development Programme has recorded the lowest ever progress rate under the UPA Government over the past year. The latest statistics on progress in various regions is not at all encouraging; indeed, the future of highways development appears extremely bleak unless there is a regime change or a change in the mindset of the incumbent Government. The National Highways Authority of India has posted a 56 per cent project completion rate across all phases of the NHDP in 2007-2008 -- this despite tall claims to the contrary. This is the lowest in the last four years, and much lower than the speed of project implementation during the NDA years. <b>Even die-hard optimists would say that it's a dismal report card. In contrast, the project completion rate was 81 per cent in 2004-2005, 78 per cent in 2006-2007, 73 per cent in 2005-06. That was before the NDA-imparted speed lost momentum. Similarly, the project award rate is down from 70 per cent in 2005-2006 to 17 per cent in 2007-2008. What is worse is the progress on the Golden Quadrilateral and the North-South, East-West corridors has been very slow.</b> This led the Committee on Infrastructure, which is chaired by the Prime Minister, to express acute dissatisfaction with NHAI's progress. Strange as it may sound, this amounted to the Prime Minister admitting his Government's utter failure on this front which is crucial to infrastructure development. Subsequently he has done little to correct the situation. The picture that has emerged after a Planning Commission review of NHAI's various projects conducted last month, painted in the bleakest of colours, underscores this point.
The Planning Commission has pointed out that the NHAI is taking 20 months on an average to award a project against a set timeframe of five months. It has also been reported that other than work being sluggish on these projects, investments have also been slow, thanks to a listless NHAI. In its defence, the NHAI has argued that the slowdown in investments is because the Government is yet to notify and approve the new toll rules and Model Concession Agreements for toll collection. It has also claimed that there is a dearth of technical and financial staff, shortage of raw materials as well as shortage of skilled manpower in the industry. There is no doubt that these reasons are valid to some extent, but to stress them beyond a point serves little or no purpose other than passing on the buck, which Government agencies excel in. For, neither the NHAI nor the government can deny that there appears to be inefficency all around. Highways are important infrastructure projects and hold the key to rapid economic development. This simple point is lost on the UPA Government. The Congress, of course, will point a finger at the DMK because it controls the relevant Ministry. But what about the <b>Congress, which leads the UPA? And a Prime Minister who is totally clueless about his Government's performance? </b>
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