NHAI awards ₹47,289-cr road projects in the current fiscal

NHAI has awarded projects for a total length of 1330 km in the first half of the current fiscal, which is 1.6 times higher of 828 km awarded in FY 19-20 and 3.5 times higher of 373 km awarded during the corresponding period in FY 18-19. For the awarded projects, NHAI has completed at least 80 to 90 per cent of the land acquisition, actioned utilities shifting and has put in place the mandatory clearances from various forest and environment agencies. During April to September 2020, NHAI has awarded a total of 40 projects involving an investment of ₹47,289 crore, which includes the cost of civil work, land acquisition, and other pre-construction activities. The road-building agency has set a target of awarding 4500 km of projects during the current fiscal and is likely to exceed the target. In March 2020, NHAI disbursed ₹10,000 crore through online payments and ensured that no payments remain pending during the lockdown. In the first quarter of the current fiscal, it disbursed more than ₹15,000 crore to the vendors. Steps such as monthly payments to the contractors were taken to ensure cash flow to the contractors. Such moderations will result in a cascading effect not only on the growth of the road sector but will also play a critical role in nation-building and advancing the growth of the Indian economy.