Gadkari seeks innovative investment models
National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) has called bids for second bundle of Toll-Operate-Transfer project (T-O-T) for 586.55 km in Gujarat, Rajasthan, West Bengal and Bihar.
The offer has 12 toll plazas across four highways.
Announcing this in Delhi on 29 Aug 2018, Road Transport & Highway Minister Nitin Gadkari invited investors to come up with more innovative investment models for the infrastructure sector.
Several more bundles will be offered in the months to come following the second T-O-T.
This year the government has allocated Rs.71,000 crore for development of roads and highways in the country.
The remaining funding requirements to meet ambitious plans are being managed through market borrowing and private sector investments.
The second bundle is being offered after NHAI did a financial closure of its first T-O-T project with the India chief of Macquarie handing over a cheque for Rs 9,681.5 crore to
This closure is the first for an asset recycling initiative by the government in India.
Exhorting investors for qualitative improvement, Gadkari called upon the concessionaires to concentrate upon improving road safety, quality of maintenance and improving toll collection methods so that waiting time at toll plazas is cut down drastically.
Minister of State for Road Transport & Highways Mansukh Lal Mandavia has also underlined government’s commitment towards providing good governance.
He said the government has increased budgetary support for infrastructure sector from nearly Rs.1.5 lakh crore to almost Rs.7 lakh crore.
He, however, called for more public private partnership to enhance investment in the road sector.
The first bundle of 9 projects, totalling approximately 681-km of roads in two states of Andhra Pradesh and Gujarat, was awarded in 2018.
Huge interest was shown by foreign investors. T-O-T Bundle-I was awarded to Macquarie for Rs.9,681 Crore, which was 1.5 times NHAI’s estimate.
The second bundle of over 586 kms is now offered spread over four States – Rajasthan, Gujarat, West Bengal and Bihar. The offer has 12 toll plazas across four highways.
T-O-T Bundle II offers operational highways with a proven tolling history of at least 2 years.
These are:
Chittorgarh – Kota & Chittorgarh Bypass on NH 27 in Rajasthan 3 Toll Plazas 160.50-km
Swaroopganj – Pindwara & Pindwara – Udaipur NH 27 in Rajasthan 2 Toll Plazas 120.02-km.
Palanpur/Khemana – Abu Road NH 27 in Rajasthan/Gujarat 1 Toll Plaza 45.00-km.
Jetpur Somnath NH 151 in Gujarat 2 Toll Plazas 102.26-km
Purnea Dalkhola NH 31 in Bihar 1 Toll Plaza 36.30-km
Dalkhola Islampur NH 31 in West Bengal 1 Toll Plaza 51.97-km
Islampur-Sonapur–Ghoshpukur NH 31 in West Bengal 1 Toll Plaza 44.00-km
Salsalabari-West Bengal Assam Border Section NH 31C in West Bengal 1 Toll Plaza 26.50-km.
Total: 12 Toll Plazas 586.55-km. fiinews.com
