Stalled highway projects likely to be executed soon after SC order

14 Mar 2013 Evaluate

In a big relief to the road sector, where many road projects were stuck due to delays in green clearances, the Supreme Court (SC) has allowed delinking the two clearances as sought by the Ministry of Environment and Forest (MoEF). With the SC allowing modification in norms, 20 delayed highway projects worth Rs 27,000 crore investments are expected to be executed soon.

Pursuant to this, a road project can commence work once it gets environment approval. Earlier, the forest clearance was mandatory before start of the work on roads stretches falling in forest and non-forest areas. The apex court’s order of delinking both the clearances has come as a major relief to the Ministry, which is facing problems in award of projects and is not likely to meet the target of awarding 9,500 km for the financial year.

Earlier, on January 5, the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) had moved the apex court seeking delinking of both the clearances. However, in a high powered meeting it was decided that MoEF would move an application before the SC and the NHAI will withdraw its petition of intervention and accordingly the NHAI had moved for withdrawal which was accepted by the apex court.

The government in the first three quarters of the current fiscal, due to various reasons including delays in green clearances, has awarded contracts for only over 1,100 km. Further, the problems got aggravated with major infrastructure firms pulling out of projects. Moreover, the reluctance by banks to give loans to infrastructure projects, have added to the concerns, which has been forwarded to the PMEAC so that the issue can be resolved. With the Supreme Court’s decision, projects for developing over 2,500 km of highways will automatically get environment clearances.

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