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We will refine the system: Shri Kamal Nath (All photographs for 'The Big Interview' by Amit Dhir - Both print & Online)
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"The system will be refined"

In this exclusive interview, Kamal Nath, Union Minister of Road Transport & Highways tells Niranjan Mudholkar of his big plans to build India’s road network faster and better than before

How is the 100-day programme for your Ministry shaping up? What will be the concrete outcomes of this programme that will help you further steer the sector’s growth?
When it comes to matters related to road infrastructure, 100 days is adequate to take stock and plan ahead for the next 4-5 years time horizon. As it can be observed there are many issues which were impeding the award process of NHAI. We have placed concentrate suggestions in remedy in this regard before the Prime Minister and also have put up the necessary proposal for additional resources with the Finance Ministry and Planning Commission.

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COMMENT   Dear sir Your interview with Honble Minister for road transport & highways clearly shows govt intention of making NH in   1 Comments Read more comments »

We have formulated Annual work plans to achieve the 20 km roads a day target. NHAI has started working on an annual action plan. As a result, a Work Plan has been formulated for awarding 12,000 km in this fiscal year and 11,000 km in the next year. It has been tentatively estimated that a sum of Rs 98,173 crore would be required to implement 12,000 km to be awarded this year. Out of which, Rs 54,622 crore is expected to come from private sector and a maximum of Rs 43,551 crore would come from the Government.
These plans would require a change in the working culture at NHAI as also its restructuring. Restructuring is in the process of implementation. If granted the financial and manpower resources, we are sure that we would be able to move ahead to reach our target.

During your road show in Zurich, you have suggested a paradigm shift in the approach to road development saying that it should not be merely viewed as asset creation - it has to have service orientation. Could you please elaborate on this? And how do you plan to implement this?
Highways should be seen as facilitators and also as force multipliers. A World Bank study had assessed that every single rupee invested in the highway sector yields Rs 7 in terms of economic value. Development of the highways adds to the connectivity which is so essential for the people to transmit, transfer and commute. Hence the construction of highways does not merely lead to asset creation, but the said creation should be such that the service levels required by the users are satisfactorily met. For this we should be shifting to performance oriented parameters and we are doing precisely that.

You have also proposed to split the National Highways Authority of India and create a separate Expressways Authority, which would singularly concentrate on construction of expressways across India. Why is this necessary and by when can the industry see this happening?
Earlier, the entire GQ was intended to be converted into six lanes and to expressways. However, it has been now decided that unless there are sufficient traffic levels which would justify six laning or creation of expressways we will not go ahead with this plan. Only where traffic levels are sufficient to justify construction of expressways we will go ahead with it.
Construction of four Expressways, namely Vadodara-Mumbai, Chennai-Bangalore, Kolkata-Dhanbad and Delhi-Meerut aggregating to about 1,000 km is also being initiated under the NHDP-Phase-VI by taking up feasibility studies.
The prospect of having a new Expressway Authority is being considered to look after development of Expressways in the country. The expressways will ease out traffic congestion and provide quick, fast and cheaper transport. We have 200 km of expressways in the country so far and we have plans to construct 1,000 km till 2015.
The Ministry has appointed a consultant to look at the feasibility of 15,600 km of expressways in the country. This would be in addition to the plans of constructing 1,000 km of expressways.
According to estimates, expressways use 40% less land than ordinary roads to transport same amounts of goods and people while cutting vehicle emissions and traffic accidents by one third. Hence, depending on the magnitude of total stretches which will be available, the need for an Expressways Authority will be decided.

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