National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) has pre-qualified ten entities for the development of the Durgapur Expressway in West Bengal.

The entities in question are:

• Larsen & Toubro
• GVK International
• GMR Group
• IL & FS
• Punj Lloyd
• Hindustan Construction
• Ircon
• Jaiprakash Industries
• Gamuda Bhd, Malaysia
• RBM, Malaysia

The project entails the four-laning of the 69-km stretch between Dankuni and Palsit on NH-2 in West Bengal, at a cost of the Rs.466 crore. This would be the first expressway project to be developed under the annuity payment method, under the BOT module.

The project was earlier to be offered under the direct toll method, which was subsequently shelved in favour of the direct tolling method. Under the annuity method the private operator would be paid a fixed amount every six months (the annuity) to compensate him for the capital and running costs.

The pre-qualified entities would have to submit their price bids by 21 January 2002.