Contracts for 15,000 km roads to be given this year: Nath

Contracts for 15,000 km of roads with investment of Rs one lakh crore will be awarded this fiscal, as the Road Transport Ministry and the Planning Commission are working to resolve differences, Road Transport Minister Kamal Nath said on Wednesday.

Contracts for 15,000 km of roads with investment of Rs one lakh crore will be awarded this fiscal, as the Road Transport Ministry and the Planning Commission are working to resolve differences, Road Transport Minister Kamal Nath said on Wednesday.

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“This year we will award 15,000 km of road with a value of Rs one lakh crore... Next year we will award another 15,000 km of road contracts,” Nath said in reply to a discussion on the working of his ministry in the Rajya Sabha.

He said awarding such huge contract was required to meet the target of 7,000 km of road construction in a year which would mean 20 km a day.

Nath said his ministry would review the toll policy. “I am going to look at the toll policy again,” since it has been decided to construct 60 per cent of the roads on toll formula.

Admitting that his ministry had differences with the Planning Commission, which was one of the reasons for slow progress in road construction, he said “we are resolving some of the issues which are deterrent.”

However, he made it clear, that the advice of the Planning Commission was not binding on him. “I have not outsourced this ministry to other ministries or to Planning Commission”. He said the plan panel provides valuable inputs but his accountability was to Parliament.

The model concession agreement, prepared by the plan panel was the main bone of contention within the government.