NHAI delegates power for faster project execution

NEW DELHI: To cut down on delays in highway projects, NHAI has decentralised power by authorising regional officers to undertake urgent repair works of up to Rs 1 crore, besides hiring of equipment and workers of up to Rs 10 lakh in a given project.

"In order to ensure faster execution of projects, the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) has delegated powers to its regional officers for hiring of equipment and labourers up to Rs 10 lakh per project and demolish structures that fall within the right-of-way of the project," NHAI said in a statement.

Absence of any such provision for demolition of such structures often leads to protracted correspondence between contractors, project directors and NHAI headquarters before these could be removed, in the process holding up execution of projects, it said.

"With this delegation of power to ROs, NHAI will be able to make encumbrance-free land available more speedily to the concessionaire/contractors as laid down under the concession agreement or contract," NHAI said.

The ROs have also been instructed to ensure measurement of such structures, along with videography, for purpose of record.

The Authority maintained that it is keen to remove all hurdles for speedy execution of highway projects and the move is just a step in a series of delegation of powers at the regional level.

It has "delegated powers for construction of foot overbridges under change of scope up to Rs 80 lakh and for 4- and 6-laning projects up to Rs 1 crore".

Similarly, the ROs have been delegated power for maintenance of highways requiring urgent repair works of up to Rs 1 crore, it said.

"CGM jointly with regional officers have also been delegated power for shifting of transmission line/electric line and water pipelines/other utilities up to Rs 10 crore and Rs 5 crore, respectively," it added.

The Authority hopes that these measures will cut down delay in completion of projects.