Expedite four-lanning of highways in Kanyakumari, says Pon Radhakrishnan

Chennai: Union Minister of State for Finance and Shipping Pon Radhakrishnan has urged the national highways officials to expedite the four-lanning of highways in Kanyakumari and facilitate national connectivity soon.

The Minister who inspected the work in the district along with national highways officials, said the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways has taken several steps to decentralise work and road projects.

Various orders like delegation of Powers to Chief Engineer-Regional Officer (CE-RO) at MoRTH Regional Offices, Delegation of Power in Implementation of the Projects, Delegation of powers for Administrative/ Financial Approval Periodic Renewal/ Improvement of riding quality Programme (PR/IRQP) under Maintenance and Repair (M&R) of NHs (Non-Plan) – First Phase, Procedure for Processing of Cases of Utility Shifting and Guidelines regarding procedures to be adopted for invitation of tenders and qualification of contractors for execution of Road and Bridge Works on National Highways and Centrally Financed Schemes-Modification in Procedures have been issued by the MoRTH.

The Delegation of power across various levels is also part of the Cabinet approved Bharatmala Pariyojana (BMP) Phase – I for development/upgradation of 34,800 km of National Highways (NHs) with an outlay of Rs 5,35,000 crore over a five year period i.e. from 2017-18 to 2021-22. For EPC projects, NHAI Board (Authority) has been authorized to appraise and approve the projects irrespective of cost. For all BOT (Toll) projects of NHAI Where no grant is required to be given to concessionaires, the Authority has been authorized to appraise and approve the projects irrespective of cost.