NHAI invites CAG ire over project delay

The Comptroller 038; Auditor General CAG of India8217;s Performance Audit report on the PPP-based national highway projects has lambasted the National Highways Authority of India NHAI for delay in award of work and land acquisition, issue of change of scope orders during execution and absence of corporate and strategic plan.

The report says NHAI did not align base toll rates with latest wholesale price index. Seventeen projects were opened for private sector participation between March 1998 and April 2003 under NHDP Phase I and a test check of eight BOT-toll and BOT-annuity projects in the audit has revealed that there were no detailed project reports DPRs for some projects and still those of others suffered from deficiencies in design, cost estimated and traffic projections.

Of the 17 projects, only five were completed in time, while there were delays of two to 42 months in others.