In the current budget, the road ministry has got an allocation of Rs 57,000-cr and NHAI is allowed to raise tax-free bonds worth Rs 15,000cr. The remaining amount would be raised through leasing out already constructed national highways to pension fund and PE players under the TOT model. To achieve the laid down targets, the Road Transport and Highway Ministry has planned to construct 40 km of roads every day in 2016-17, more than double the current pace, said NHAI sources, adding that this has been fixed for building 8,000 km by NHAI. The National Highways and Industrial Development Corporation (NHIDCL), which lays roads in hilly areas, will lay 7,000 km during that period. The roads award target of 25,000 km as against the 10,000 km being awarded last year. The construction target has been set at 15,000 km as against the 6,000 km constructed last year. However, the budget for the current year has set the construction target at 10,000 km and road building agencies are confident of doing much better than the budget targets. Of the total length of national highways targeted for award, 15,000 km would be awarded by NHAI and 10,000 km by NHIDCL in the current fiscal. In 2015-16, the ministry was able to award around 10,000 km of highway contracts worth Rs 1 lakh crore.
