Samithi flays move to aquire land for National Highway
October 16, 2013
Mangalore, DH News Service
38 houses will have to be demolished if NHAI acquires 60-metre land for 4-laning from NITK to Pavanje
Rashtriya Heddari Bhoo Swadeena Santhrasthara Horata Samithi-Mukka office-bearers have opposed the move of the National Highway Authority of India (NHAI) to acquire 60 metre land for the proposed work on four-laning of the National Highway 66 from NITK to Pavanje.
Addressing a press meet here on Tuesday, Samithi Vice President Ramachandra M G said that if the NHAI goes ahead with the acquisition process, then 38 houses situated on the eastern side of the road in Mukka Pete will lose their houses. “We had approached Union Minister for Surface Transport Oscar Fernandes to urge him to direct the NHAI not to acquire 60 metre land for the road. The residents residing on the eastern side of the road in Mukka had parted their land for road from Mukka-Pavanje in 1968 and 1972. Now, the authorities are laying only 15 metre road. At the same time, 28 to 30 metre land is already available with the government. Inspite of it, by violating the rules, the government has passed gazette notification for the land acqusition for the third time.”
He exhorted the authorities to take note of the written directions given by the previous government to restrict the land acquisition to 45 metres for the four-laning of the road in Mukka and act accordingly.
“As per the rules, the road should be widened equally on either sides from the central line. However, owing to vested interests, from Mukka-Padredwara, the authorities have changed the central line and amidst protest from the residents, have laid a road that passes in front of houses. Now, citing reason for shortage of space for service road, the authorities are hell bent on acquiring additional land,” he said. Samithi President K Mahabala Rai said, “engineers are citing the reason of alignment for changing the central line. There is no direct connection between Pavanje bridge and the present road. By making curves, the authorities have given scope for accidents on the highway,” he alleged.
Similarly, owing to the change in central line, land belonging to Sri Sathya Dharma temple and Kotyan Moolasthana will be acquired. The NHAI authorities have failed to make use of the available road for widening and laying service roads.
The samithi members have urged the authorities concerned to uniformly restrict the right of acquisition of land for the NH-66 widening. Though the highway passes through three states, all the three are following different rules. It is 30 metre in Kerala, 45 metre in Goa and 60 metre at a few places in Karnataka.
“We are not against development or widening of roads. However, the authorities should maintain uniformity and follow the guidelines while widening the roads,” said Rai.
In protest against the acquisition process, the Samithi members will hold a padayatra from Pavanje bridge to NITK on October 17. The road will be blocked for five minutes on the occasion. A petition will be submitted to the DC.
Source-http://www.deccanherald.com
Poor infrastructure will affect tourism industry in Jharkhand: CII
October 11, 2013
TNN |
JAMSHEDPUR: After chief minister Hemant Soren’s candid acceptance of the fact that national highways in the state need immediate face- lift, the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) also said tourism industry will get affected if the present condition is not taken care of across Jharkhand.The state chapter of the CII has expressed doubts that the tourism industry in Jharkhand will make profits owing to its poor infrastructure and connectivity.
“We can cite the example of Amadubi tourist spot in Dhalbhumgarh (inaugurated last week by state tourism minister Suresh Paswan). Although the place is just 60km away from the city it over two hours to reach the spot,” said convener, tourism panel, CII, Prabhakar Singh.
Apparently, indicting the government for its lackadaisical attitude in improving the plight of the roads, the CII functionary said there’s no point opening tourist spots in isolated places.
“Proper connectivity through road, rail or air is prerequisite for reaching the tourist spots but in our state we have no rail or road connectivity,” said Singh on Sunday. Conceding, the dilapidated condition of the highways in the state, Soren, on Saturday, said here that he will convene a meeting in one month to work out the modalities for speedy improvement of the condition of the highways in the state.
He also said prolonged delay in the formulation of a vibrant tourism policy is also gradually eating into the potentiality of the tourism industry.
“Several projects that are crucial for the growth of the tourism industry are in limbo,” said Singh adding that law and order is another area that demands immediate attention.
He said lawlessness in the state cannot be judged merely from the prism of the Maoist incidents.
When his attention was drawn to the Union tourism ministry’s report indicating 20 per cent increase in domestic tourists last year in comparison to year 2011, the CII functionary said the report might not be that impressive in 2013.
“Agreed, relatively the number of visitors was high (in 2012) but I wonder what impression have they carried back home,” said Singh.
Decision on discounts to road builders in a week: NHAI
October 11, 2013
The Cabinet on Tuesday approved a proposal for postponement of premium payments that highway developers have to pay to the NHAI in build, operate and transfer (BOT) projects.
(RP Singh, Chairman NHAI )
Our view is that anything beyond debt service and the operation and maintenance (O&M) should come as premium. RP Singh Chairman NHAI The National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) will decide on the rescheduling of premium payment for road projects in a week or two.
Speaking to CNBC-TV18, RP Singh, chairman, NHAI says the company’s board will meet next week to decide on on the quantum of discount to eligible road builders. The Cabinet on Tuesday approved a proposal for postponement of premium payments that highway developers have to pay to the NHAI in build, operate and transfer (BOT) projects.
The Cabinet on Tuesday approved a proposal for postponement of premium payments that highway developers have to pay to the NHAI in build, operate and transfer (BOT) projects.
Below is the edited transcript of Singh’s interview to CNBC-TV18.
Q: On what principles will you decide who will get the rescheduling of their premium?
A: I am yet to get the exact formulation and we have to see what is the final decision on this. But one thing is clear that it will apply to all the projects which are stretched and the board will decide.
Q: Since you have been neck deep in this and you know the troubles of the sector best. What might be the principles on which approximately the board will decide to reschedule?
A: We are not clear of the exact contours. The crucial thing will be what is going to be the discount rate. I am not very clear about it whether it’s 12 percent or 10 percent.
Q: We understand finance ministry said 12 percent and developers want 10 percent. So, it will be your board to decide the discounting?
A: Board will not decide. It will be the decision of the government. They are likely to form a committee which is going to go into other aspect. There are some condition which we were not willing to accept because we thought it will be a sub optimal solution.
The committee will give a decision with a period of week or one week or two weeks perhaps after that the board will go into the individual cases as to what are the cases which deserve this kind of rescheduling. So, our view is that anything beyond debt service and the operation and maintenance (O&M) should come as premium.
Source_http://www.moneycontrol.com
Traffic woes continue as bridge work trails
October 9, 2013
By Express News Service – MARADU
Though the ban imposed by the National Highway Authority of India (NHAI) on vehicular traffic through the Aroor-Kumbalam old bridge completes 100 days on Monday, the authorities are yet to complete the repair work.
It was initially announced that the work would be completed before September. The old bridge that runs parallel to the Aroor-Kumbalam new bridge was closed more than three months ago after the heavy rains that lashed the area washed off the tarred surface. Thereafter, vehicles from Aroor and Vyttila were allowed ply only though the new bridge.
According to commuters and residents, vehicles can move only at snail’s pace. “Earlier, the old bridge was utilised by vehicles plying to Aroor from Vyttila while vehicles from the opposite direction plied through the new bridge. Now, all vehicles are forced to use the new bridge which is causing heavy traffic congestion in the area,” said Suresh Babu, a resident.
This is also causing accidents. “Though authorities have collecting huge amount as toll from commuters, they fail to provide a safe journey through the area. We need the old bridge to be opened for vehicular traffic. Or else, necessary steps should be taken to avoid accidents,” said Unnikrishnan, a commuter.
There are also allegations that the authorities have failed to conduct repair work on the bridge. “Though the bridge was resurfaced by a private company a couple of years ago, a good share of the tarred surface has been damaged,” he said. Meanwhile, sources with NHAI said a probe on how much area of the tarred surface of the bridge was damaged.
Source-http://newindianexpress.com
NHAI cancels Rs 535cr project for 4-lane road in Coimbatore
October 9, 2013
Julie Mariappan, TNN |
NHAI has asked the ministry to entrust the existing highway stretch back to the state government for maintenance and development.
Premium rescheduling for highway projects gets Cabinet approval
October 9, 2013
OUR BUREAU
NEW DELHI,
The Cabinet has approved premium rescheduling for highway developers, but with certain riders.
A senior official in the Highway Ministry said, “the approved proposal would require some more fine-tuning, which has to be thrashed out over the next few weeks by a committee.”
The Highway Ministry is awaiting the minutes of the Cabinet meeting to be able to clarify on the exact content of the approval given, as the proposal contained multiple options of premium rescheduling. Premium is the amount quoted by developers to the National Highways Authority of India to bag the rights to design, widen, finance, operate highway stretches and collect toll from the users over a long period of time.
The Government has been considering a proposal to permit highway developers to postpone their premium payments in a manner that the net value of these obligations are constant over the entire contract period.
Road developers had bagged many highway projects by quoting high premiums to develop or widen highway stretches, maintain these and collect toll from users over a pre-determined period of 20-30 years. Now, they want the projects’ premium payment postponed in a manner that the net value remains the same.
The proposal has been doing the rounds of various Ministries, including Law, Finance and Highways for several months now.
Government officials had been dragging their feet on the issue as the proposal involved re-negotiating contract terms already entered into.
“The premium rescheduling proposal was cleared in-principle. But, a scientific formulation to define stressed projects is required,” said another source.
In a related move, the Cabinet has cleared some toll charge related decisions, which will come into effect on a prospective basis. Simply put, these decisions will be implemented for projects awarded in future, another Highway Ministry source said.
But, in case of renegotiation of contracts, the National Highways Authority of India can use it as a tool. First, truckers who move overloaded cargo will be penalised by charging extra. Basically, the extra cargo will have to be removed from the truck and the trucker will have to pay ten times the pre-defined toll for that vehicle category.
Also, highway developers will have to charge a lower level of toll (75 per cent of pre-defined toll levels), in case they delay in completing projects. Additionally, for projects where two-lane highways with paved shoulders are getting made, developers can charge 60 per cent of toll, subject to the road being physically wider (by another three metres).
Another proposal – to decide the level of toll charges for greenfield expressways – has been referred to a committee headed by Finance Minister, Planning Commission Deputy Chairman and Highway Minister.
NHAI for five fold hike in toll rates of Varappuzha bridge
October 9, 2013
By Express News Service – KOCHI
The National Highway Authority of India (NHAI) which has taken over the NH-17 from PWD has decided to effect a five fold increase in toll rates at the Varapuzha bridge. According to reports, the increased rate would come into force from Tuesday midnight. Those residing in the Varapuzha area said people manning the toll booth have informed them about the rate hike. A notice board has also been pasted near the toll booth. As per the notice, the rate for cars for a one-way trip through bridge would be Rs 25. It was Rs 5 earlier. For a two-way trip car drivers would have to pay `40 compared to the Rs 7.50 earlier.
The rate for buses and heavy vehicles have been hiked from Rs 15 to Rs 75. The NHAI officials were not available for comment. According to PWD officials, the road was handed over to NHAI for widening. As per the plan, the NHAI will lay a four lane road here. The rates were increased as per the NHAI manual. The Highway Protection Council has decided to launch an agitation against the decision.
LDF and BJP activists took out protest marches. Hasim Chenapillil of Highway Protection Counsil said the move by NHAI is improper. “As per NHAI guidelines toll booths must have a gap of 40 km between them. However the distance from Kumbalam toll to Varapuzha toll is hardly 25 km. There is no proper road in this stretch and people are being forced to pay without accruing any benefit. We want the PWD, National Division to control this road stretch. If the NHAI wants to keep the stretch they should not increase the rate. We will lodge a protest against the NHAI if they don’t change their decision,” Hasim said.
Source-http://newindianexpress.com
Road developers wait for Cabinet decision on Tuesday
October 8, 2013
Dipak K Dash, TNN |
Out of these total projects work has started in the case of 17 stretches. Though all these months the road transport and highways ministry had been taking up the issue of only 23 projects where work is yet to start, the Cabinet Secretariat has received a supplementary note from the ministry. IRB had been raising the demand of extending the rescheduling scheme to all premium projects awarded post April 2010.
Premium is annual upfront payment that developers give to NHAI during the entire contract period in the case of lucrative projects.
Sources said the ministry has sought Cabinet’s approval for providing relief to road developers who have either started or are yet to undertake expansion work on project which are under “stress”. They added the stressed projects would be decided by the NHAI Board, which has representatives from highways and finance ministries besides the Planning Commission.
The ministry has proposed three options for Cabinet’s consideration. Sources said that the first proposal is to scrap all the 23 yet to start projects. Second option is to allow rescheduling of premium so that developers can take up work. The third option is to extend the relief to all premium projects.
The logic behind the third option is that those who have taken up work should not be penalized for going ahead while in many such cases the toll revenue have fallen due to bad economic condition.
Economic growth has direct relation to the toll revenue on roads.
Source-http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com
No change in Paliyekkara toll rate
October 8, 2013
TNN |
The meeting also decided to find solutions to issues such as installing street lights along the entire stretch, constructing additional 22 km-road with the help of PWD and water clogging.
The meeting was convened in the wake of protests by political and social organizations on October 1, which forced the NHAI to back off from its decision to increase toll rate.
Thiruvananthapuram: The rates at Paliyekkara toll plaza along the Mannuthy-Angamaly National Highway will not be increased for now. A meeting convened by the chief minister Oommen Chandy on Monday has decided not to revoke the toll rates as of now.
The chief minister, during the meeting, directed to form a joint committee, in which Thrissur district collector, representatives from toll company, NHAI director, National Highway executive engineer will be the members, and inspect the quality and completed works of stretch. The committee has been assigned to submit a report on whether toll rates should be increased to the PWD secretary after carrying out the inspection.
The meeting also decided to immediately find solutions to issues like installing street lights along the entire stretch, constructing additional 22 km-road with the help of PWD, water clogging etc.
The meeting was convened after various protest programmes staged by political and social organisations on October 1 forced the National Highway Authority of India (NHAI) to back off from its decision to increase toll rate from the first day of this month.
NHAI work to be terminated soon
October 8, 2013
DC | Cynthia Chandran |
Thiruvananthapuram: The National Highway Authority of India has decided to terminate the work on the Mannuthy-Vadakkumcherry stretch due to the slow pace of development of the six-lane road.
According to P. Ramanathan, NHAI project director, land acquisition on the stretch was completed in May, but the work is yet to start. Meanwhile, the state Public Works Department officials are still awaiting a call from Union Surface Transport Minister Oscar Fernandes who had promised to expedite the National Highway Development Project (NHDP) and the proposed elevated highway.
The 25-km stretch on the Mannuthy-Vadakkumcherry route is the only road in the state where 60-metre-wide land acquisition has taken place so far. The NHAI official told DC that with no development work taking place on the stretch, he will inform his headquarters about calling off the project.
“We are helpless to continue the work as over six months have passed since land has been acquired,” said Ramanathan. However, top PWD officials feel that the NHAI is resorting to pressure tactics. A senior PWD official told DC that it is the responsibility of the NHAI to resume the development work on the Mannuthy – Vadakkumcherry stretch.
“Even if they call off the project, the PWD will go ahead with the work. As a first step, we will find out the problem and then resume the work,” said a top PWD official.
Meanwhile, the work on the Vadakkumcherry – Valayar stretch, where 30-metre-wide land has been acquired, is progressing well, claimed both PWD and NHAI officials.
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