Road transport and highways ministry to get aircraft to monitor projects

NEW DELHI: With the finance ministry giving a go ahead to the road transport and highways ministry on its proposal to buy a fixed wing aircraft and a chopper to be used for inspection and monitoring of ongoing work by officials, NHAI and NHIDCL will now carry out detailed assessments of their likely usage and how much it would cost to the two agencies.

Sources said that the issue was discussed at a meeting on Friday where officials from finance ministry and directorate general of civil aviation were also present. “Finance ministry has stated that as per the provision these agencies can procure aircraft and chopper. But since there is a need to do cost analysis and also to see whether we can have any other option rather than buying them, NHAI and NHIDCL will engage consultants,” said a road ministry official.

Officials said that the option could be hiring aircrafts or taking them on lease rather than buying them. “But the outcome of the assessment will be the basis of taking a decision. Funding is not going to be an issue, but we must detail their usage and utility,” said one of them.

Highways minister Nitin Gadkari had pushed this proposal. “The cost would be recovered since we spend huge amount in travelling of officials. The focus is to accelerate work and complete ongoing projects through regular monitoring,” Gadkari had told TOI on Thursday when he rode a bus to see the progress on NH-8. As per the proposal, NHAI would buy the aircraft and NHIDCL, which largely deals with road projects in North-East and border areas would procure the chopper.

Government officials said that there are a few PSUs and government bodies that have procured aircrafts.