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This is an archive article published on July 1, 2005

Step on the gas

The National Highway Development Project NHDP, one of the biggest and best executed infrastructural projects in India, appears to have gro...

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The National Highway Development Project NHDP, one of the biggest and best executed infrastructural projects in India, appears to have ground to a near halt. The Golden Quadrilateral GQ, connecting Delhi, Chennai, Kolkata and Mumbai, has been stuck at 78 per cent of the 5,846 km to be constructed. The North-South-East-West corridor 8212; from Srinagar to Kanyakumari and from Porbandar to Silchar 8212; comprising 7,300 km is not only merely 9.5 per cent complete, even contracts for the entire corridor have not been awarded. Failure to acquire land, cash flow problems faced by individual contractors, and environmental issues have been cited as the reasons for the delays.

This is the same project that was thundering ahead at full speed under the NDA government, with highway gantries carrying banners of Atal Bihari Vajpayee. The BJP knew the value of the project and its intervention to four-lane the 10,000 km of existing national highways was cleverly called the Pradhan Mantri Bharat Jodo Pariyojana PMBJP. Today, the banners have gone and the name has changed. This is understandable, given the fact that it is now a Congress government at the Centre. What is not understandable is the UPA government8217;s reluctance to claim ownership of the project and display a continued commitment to it.

The pre-condition for a dynamic economy is connectivity. One hopes that after the increased allocation of Rs 9,320 crore in this year8217;s Budget, and the dismal report card from the National Highway Development Programme, the Manmohan Singh government will finally step on the gas.

 

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