Govt to constitute committee to review NHAI note
With the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) having prepared a note that seeks the overhaul of the existing model concession agreement, an inter-ministerial committee will be set up by the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways to review the note.
Since the model concession agreement – signed between the concessionaire and the government – is the contract which lays down the terms of implementation of a project, the NHAI is seeking a review of the agreement in an apparent effort to revive private sector interest in the road sector.
According to the information shared by unidentified sources aware of the matter, the inter-ministerial review committee to be constituted by the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways will include secretary-level officials from the Road Ministry, the NHAI, the Planning Commission, the department of economic affairs, as well as representatives from a builders’ group.
The committee will be headed by Vijay Chhibber, a secretary in the Road Ministry.
Revealing that the NHAI has presented its draft for a new model concession agreement to the Road Ministry this week, the officials from the Ministry said: “The Road Ministry has certain reservations about some aspects of this draft. PPP (public-private partnership) hasn’t worked, doesn’t mean that the government assumes a bigger role to address most issues. So we have decided to form a committee that will look into what modifications need to be made.”
Source – Live Mint
ministry of road transport and highways, National Highways Authority of India, NHAI, Planning Commission, the department of economic affairs
