The plan panel in fresh row with NHAI
National Highways Authority of India has blamed the Planning Commission for blocking its attempts to revive the virtually-stalled road sector and sought more powers to speed up project implementation, in a fresh spat.
NHAI chairman R P Singh said in a recent letter to road transport and highway secretary Vijay Chhibber said “It’s high time that the role of the Planning Commission is reviewed and the ministry starts playing a proactive role to sort out the issues being faced by the road sector.”
Referring to the highway agency’s initiative of settlement of disputes and their amicable resolution worth around Rs 5,000 crore, the plan panel has even opposed this agenda item brought before the authority’s board said Singh.
Singh said, “The Planning Commission is responsible for blocking the exit policy, which if agreed as per our initial proposal, would have provided necessary impetus to the road sector. Not only Planning Commission has delayed the decision-making process, their objections have invariably resulted in suboptimal decisions, which have created complications than solving them.Similarly, the Planning Commission is squarely responsible for the delay caused in the Cabinet decision on rescheduling of the premium. ”
He had also written that in case this was not being followed then it would amount to a departure from the “Cabinet-approved” model concession agreement.
The strong comments came in response to a letter written by Gajendra Haldea, advisor to plan panel deputy chairman Montek Singh Ahluwalia, to Chhibber in March and asked whether the International Centre for Alternate Dispute Resolution (ICADR) rules were being followed for resolution of disputes.
NHAI and the road ministry have blamed the plan panel for the slowdown, an allegation that has been denie in the past too, Planning Commission and NHAI have fought as the pace of award of road contracts has slowed downd.
Responding to Singh’s charge of the panel blocking all attempts to revive the sector, Haldea said all the basic documents which NHAI follows have been evolved in the Planning Commission. He added “All NHAI projects are based on these documents. which have delivered good results in the past. Planning Commission is always eager to support NHAI in order to accelerate the NH programme.”
Source: Times of India
Alternate Dispute Resolution, Cabinet decision, Cabinet-approved, Montek Singh Ahluwalia, National Highways Authority of India, Planning Commission, R P Singh, Road sector, Vijay Chibber
