Stung by the “abrupt and unilateral” walkout of the GMR Group from the 555-km-long Kishangarh-Udaipur-Ahmedabad National Highway project alleging delays in approvals, the ministry of road transport

The National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) on Wednesday moved the Supreme Court seeking modification of its guidelines mandating forest clearance prior to environmental clearance, saying the related procedures have delayed and stalled 22 important projects worth over R20,000 crore.

The highway authority has also sought a direction to the ministry of environment and forests (MoEF) to modify its office memoranda (OM) of March and April 2011 so as to delink the two clearances in respect of widening of national highways.

The National Highway Authority of India (NHAI) has decided to carry out four-laning of the Parwanoo-Shimla section of the NH-22 under a single project, instead of two separate projects as planned earlier. As per the decision, the Rs 808 crore project for the Parwanoo-Solan section and Rs 1,800 crore project for the Solan-Shimla section had been combined into a single project which would cost Rs 1,786 crore.

The decision was taken after work on the four-laning of Parwanoo-Solan was delayed due to redesigning of the project to change the alignment of some portions to avoid large-scale demolition of commercial and residential structures along the road.

20 Highway Contracts Stuck Due To Red Tape Over Environmental Norms

New Delhi: The National Highways Authority of India has decided to approach the Supreme Court against the environment ministry’s norms as a series of projects are held up due to green clearances. While infrastructure major GMR has already announced its exit from Rs 7,500 crore highway project, there are at least 20 highways contracts — each worth over Rs 1,000 crore — that have been awarded by NHAI but there fate remains unclear as the environment ministry is sitting over forest clearances. The projects have cleared one hurdle of getting environmental approvals but work cannot start until a green signal on the forest side is also received.

NHAI likely to take ministry to SC today for ‘failing to comply with delinking order’

The tussle between the environment ministry and the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) over who caused the alleged delays in approvals in highway projects came to a head on Tuesday with the NHAI threatening to take the ministry to the Supreme Court on Wednesday, accusing it of failure to comply with an earlier court directive to de-link forest and environmental clearances.

Spanning 555 km, the project was to cost Rs 7,500 cr

GMR Infrastructure has terminated the concession agreement on its Rs 7,500 crore, 555-km highway project connecting Rajasthan and Gujarat, India’s largest. GMR Infrastructure reached the decision after weeks of discussions with the National Highway Authority of India (NHAI), over getting various statutory clearances for the project.

Joshi issues directive to speed up ongoing projects

With private players evincing little interest in taking up road projects, the Centre has scaled down targets for awarding National Highway projects for the current financial year by over 50 per cent. After a review meeting the Union Ministry of Road Transport and Highway has decided to award just about 4,600 km of roads during the current financial year. To make up for this Minister C. P. Joshi has issued directive to speed up ongoing projects, according to highly placed sources.

JAMMU: The Committee on Environment of Legislative Assembly has enjoined upon central and state construction agencies to ensure strict implementation of various labour welfare laws besides following environment norms while executing the ambitious 4-lanning project of Srinagar - Jammu National Highway.

The Committee, which met here this afternoon under the chairmanship of MLA, M Y Tarigami, stressed for strict implementation of Workmen's Compensation Act, Payment of Wages Act and Employees Provident Fund, which was imperative for generating interest among the labourers engaged in the execution of the projects.

Bank’s pre-appraisal mission says worrying increases in cost estimates need serious review

The World Bank has expressed reservation on the ‘slow progress’ in completing acquisition of the remaining land needed for the second phase of the Kerala State Transport Project (KSTP) that aims at world-class development of 367 km of State highways. The pre-appraisal mission led by World Bank senior transport economist Simon D. Ellis, who was in the State recently to review the project, said the “progress on land acquisition which has not progressed since the last mission and the worrying increases in cost estimates need serious review.”

The government has undertaken an ambitious integrated programme to develop four Districts, Ampara, Trincomalee, Batticaloa and Polonnaruwa, as part of the seventh Deyata Kirula exhibition to be hel