Rs 3 lakh crore ready-to-launch projects to boost infrastucture: Gadkari

New Delhi: To bolster infrastructure growth,the government is creating a shelf of ready-to-launch projectsworth over Rs 3 lakh crore after rolling out Rs 1.8 lakh croreout of Rs 2.8 lakh crore worth projects stuck on account ofvarious hurdles, Road Transport and Highways Minister NitinGadkari said today.

“In our shelf, we are going to have 500 projects worthmore than Rs 3 lakh crore ready with processes like landacquisition, forest clearance and other clearances. A separatesection has been created to make detailed project reports(DPR), Gadkari said addressing an Infrastructure summit,organised by Indo American Chamber of Commerce (IACC) here.

[caption id=“attachment_88851” align=“alignleft” width=“380”]  Nitin Gadkari. AFP[/caption]

Putting the onus for poor development of the sector onthe previous UPA regime, Gadkari said the sector was hit hard
during the last decade owing to faulty policies.

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But corrective measures were on, resulting in launch ofRs 1.8 lakh crore of stuck projects out of Rs 2.8 lakh crore.These projects were stuck due to regulatory hurdles anddelays in land acquisition.

Out of the remaining Rs one lakh crore projects, thecontractors wanted golden handshake for Rs 50,000 croreprojects, he said and added that now two project monitoringgroups were functional in the Ministry including one to keep avigil on all ongoing highways projects.

“Not only a mechanism to solve all discrepancies are inplace but a justified model concession agreement will be inplace soon,” he said adding that issues like forest clearanceshad been expedited while railways had cleared 74 rail overbridge (ROB) projects out of 282 pending.

The Minister said a system of online clearance systemwas in place.Steps for building of long-durable concrete roads was onwhile the government has already notified use of iron oreslags in road construction, which would be cost-effective, hesaid.

The Minister exuded confidence that not only his Ministrywill achieve 30-km a day road building target but wouldcontribute two per cent to the GDP in coming years.

Gadkari said electronic toll system would be installedpan-India which is expected to result in a saving of Rs 86,000crore annually including Rs 60,000 crore due to fuel loss as aresult of delays.

“My ministry has ambitious plans to generate revenueincluding laying of optical fibre, gas, power transmission andother lines across one lakh km stretch of NationalHighways….I had a talk with GAIL chairman for gas pipeline,“Gadkari said.

At the same time, he added his government was accordinghighest priority to waterways and that a new Bill which willvest power to Shipping Ministry for converting any riverinto waterway was ready.This would be a much cheaper mode of transport barelycosting paise 50 for a km in comparison to Rs one by railwayand Rs 1.5 through highways, he said.

PTI