Press Information Bureau

Government of India

Cabinet Committee on Infrastructure

13-December-2012 20:48 IST

The Cabinet Committee on Infrastructure today approved the following proposal:

(i) Ceiling of 4,000 km of four laning in NHDP Phase-IV be enhanced to 8000 km, to be undertaken on Build Operate Transfer BOT (Toll) mode only, based on the traffic justification as per IRC code and guidelines.

(ii) Projects with traffic between 5000 Passenger Car Units (PCUs) and 10000 PCUs that are not viable to be developed on BOT (Toll) mode could be developed directly on EPC mode. In the current year 2012-13, the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways proposes to take up 4000 km on EPC basis.

This will expedite the award of projects which shall result in improvement of infrastructure in the country.

Users of national highways from all over the country will be benefited in a big way due to infrastructure development by way of improvement of national highways. It will also increase the employment potential to the local labourers for project activities.

Background:

(i) The Cabinet, in its meeting held in July 2008 approved the proposal for up gradation of 5,000 kms under NHDP Phase IV-A. The Empowered Group of Ministers (EGoM) constituted to finalize the financing plan for the entire NHDP while deliberating on the note for the up-gradation/ strengthening of the project under NHDP Phase IV, in the fourth meeting of EGoM held on 17lh March, 2010 decided that out of total 20,000 kms under NHDP Phase-IV, keeping in view of traffic justification, about 2,000 kms may be undertaken as four-lane stretches.

(ii) For a unified NHDP Phase - IV, for a length of 20,000 kms, subsuming within it the 5000 kms already approved under NHDP Phase – IV-A was approved by the CCI in February, 2012 with direction that additional 2,000 Kms may be undertaken as four-laned stretches, in addition to that already approved by EGoM keeping in view of traffic justification.

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SH/SKS

Four laning ceiling increase allows BOT toll mode expansion and EPC use for mid traffic routes to expedite awards. The policy increases the four laning ceiling under NHDP Phase IV and prescribes that four laning be undertaken on Build Operate Transfer (BOT) (Toll) basis where traffic justification under IRC guidelines supports toll concessions, while projects in an intermediate traffic band that are not viable as toll BOT may be developed directly on EPC basis to expedite awards and implementation.