Plan panel calls meeting of NHAI, UP govt over expressway
Planning Commission has called a meeting this week to sort out the reported differences between National Highway Authority of India and Uttar Pradesh government over the Rs 40,000 crore Ganga Expressway project.
By PTI |
NEW DELHI: Planning Commission has called a meeting this week to sort out the reported differences between National Highway Authority of India and Uttar Pradesh government over the Rs 40,000 crore Ganga Expressway project.
NHAI is understood to have argued that the state government did not follow the draft model concession agreement prepared by the Planning Commission for the project that was last week awarded to Jaiprakash Associates Ltd. The plan panel has convened a meeting with the two sides on January 25 in a bid to resolve the differences, official sources said.
The state government officials last week had announced during Chief Minister Mayawati's press conference here that the project was on schedule and has received approvals from all the concerned bodies, including the Union Environment Ministry. The state government has also dismissed NHAI's contention that the project comes under the purview of the concession agreement.
In September last year, when Mayawati had announced the project, NHAI had raised apprehensions that the expressway would affect the toll collections of national highway stretches in the state. Sources said it was also concerned that the expressway could adversely affect NHAI's plan to make the Grand Trunk road six lane.
However, Ravindra Singh, Principal Secretary, PWD in the UP government, told the media that none of the alignments of the proposed expressway come anywhere near GT road, or can be termed as competing stretches.
NHAI is understood to have argued that the state government did not follow the draft model concession agreement prepared by the Planning Commission for the project that was last week awarded to Jaiprakash Associates Ltd. The plan panel has convened a meeting with the two sides on January 25 in a bid to resolve the differences, official sources said.
The state government officials last week had announced during Chief Minister Mayawati's press conference here that the project was on schedule and has received approvals from all the concerned bodies, including the Union Environment Ministry. The state government has also dismissed NHAI's contention that the project comes under the purview of the concession agreement.
In September last year, when Mayawati had announced the project, NHAI had raised apprehensions that the expressway would affect the toll collections of national highway stretches in the state. Sources said it was also concerned that the expressway could adversely affect NHAI's plan to make the Grand Trunk road six lane.
However, Ravindra Singh, Principal Secretary, PWD in the UP government, told the media that none of the alignments of the proposed expressway come anywhere near GT road, or can be termed as competing stretches.
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