NHAI ready to award ₹30,000-cr projects on BOT model

NHAI has identified road stretches of about 935 km across India to be constructed on built operate transfer (BOT) toll model at an investment of ₹30,000 crore, said official sources. Roads have been selected in Andhra Pradesh, Haryana, Maharashtra, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, West Bengal, Chhattisgarh, and Madhya Pradesh on the basis of existing traffic volume on the carriageways. NHAI has decided to invite proposals for annual pre-qualification for construction of four and six lane national highways. The annual pre-qualification criteria will streamline the process for applicants during the bid for individual project on BOT and will be applicable for current and next financial years. Special emphasis has been given to discard the non-performing parties for not meeting completion deadlines of the projects. Certain modifications have also been made in the existing RFAQ to make it more industry-friendly. The identified stretches will be awarded over a period of time.