A Paradigm Shift
Building Hi-Tech Highways & Rural Roads, reports Jeet Singh.
All the developed countries of the world, irrespective of their geographical and ideological barriers, have made a mark in the field of economic development and social upliftment only after putting in place a top class infrastructure. Similarly, India needs to create an efficient and dependable road network to improve public access to services like education, health and simultaneously strive to sharpen the industrial and agro products market delivery system. One of the main reasons for sluggish growth in Indian agriculture sector is the poor road network in rural areas, which makes farmers access to market and mandis difficult.
Today, there is a broad consensus that achieving a growth rate of about nine percent per annum is necessary to eliminate poverty and improve the quality of life of rural masses. One of the preconditions for achieving the targeted growth is the creation of top–class road network. But the central and states agencies did not have enough funds. It is, therefore, necessary to explore the possibility of building infrastructure through forging Public Private Partership (PPP). The road sector in many ways exemplifies both challenges and opportunities in infrastructure development.
