National Highways and Infrastructure Development Corporation aims to award Rs 48K crore highway projects next fiscal

NEW DELHI: To fast-track building of highways in tough terrains and border areas, National Highways and Infrastructure Development Corporation aims to award projects worth Rs 48,000 crore next fiscal.

The NHIDCL is handling projects worth Rs 50,000 crore at present.

State-run NHIDCL was incorporated a year ago to fast pace construction of National Highways and other infrastructure in the North East and strategic areas sharing international boundaries.

"As of today, the company has been entrusted with 99 National Highway projects covering an approx length of 4,400 km to be executed at a cost of approximately Rs 50,000 crore... During 2016-17, the company proposes to award 54 projects covering 4,900 kilometre with an estimated cost of Rs 48,000 crore," NHIDCL Managing Director Anand Kumar told.

The company has been entrusted with the task of developing and improving road connectivity of about 10,000 km highways including the international trade corridor in the North East, and 500 km of roads in the North Bengal and North Eastern region of India.

This would not only enable efficient and safe transport regionally with other South Asia Sub-regional Economic Cooperation (SASEC) member countries but promote cross border trade and commerce.

"NHIDCL has identified seven key strategies to follow in order to become a fortune five hundred company... it is using e-Tools like e-Office, e-Tendering, e-Monitoring, e-Access for efficiency & transparency. Second, the company is revisiting various procedures and processes followed today to enhance the ease in doing infrastructure business," he said.

Besides the company is building capacity of its staff, contractors and others in addition to facilitating use of new but appropriate technology in materials, design and works.

The public sector firm has its corporate office in Delhi and branch offices in Assam, Arunachal Pradesh, Jammu and Kashmir, Manipur, Nagaland, Tripura and Uttarakhand.

About the work done so far, Kumar said, "During the first year of its inception itself NHIDCL awarded 18 projects covering approximately 600 km at a cost of Rs 6,446 crore."

He added, "During 2015-16, the company proposes to award 27 projects covering 1360 km with an estimated cost of Rs 14,599 crore."

NHIDCL last year assisted the ministry to prepare and establish two web portals for selling and buying cement and other raw materials and e-pace for monitoring progress of various projects.