For roads, Bihar seeks new rules

For that, the option suggested by Bihar is that the projects be curtailed to two-laning with pavements instead of the four-laning of national highways under the East-West corridor that has been proposed in the National Highway Development Project.

That would allow the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) to proceed with the road projects without involving contractors as the projects have been languishing without progress.

At a meeting with state officials today, the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways said it was willing to consider all options, even funding the projects, to break the impasse.

However, these changes, if proposed, would need Cabinet approval since the norms recently set by the UPA Government allow only for projects to be built under the BOT route, said sources.

None of the projects in the 890-km East-West corridor have taken off as contractors quoted 40-70 per cent higher than the estimated cost. Three projects under Phase III of NHDP did not get any response because of the poor law and order situation in the state.

Another reason for opting for two-laning is an internal note prepared by then director general Road Development, N.K. Sinha, which said there was not enough traffic on many sections of the corridor to sustain their commercial viability.