The Centre aims to complete awarding of projects envisaged under Bharatmala Pariyojana, its flagship highways development programme, by 2023.
Phase-I of the scheme approved in 2017 includes construction of 24,800 km national highways, in addition to 10,000 km balance road works under the National Highways Development Programme (NHDP).
The roads remaining to be built under NHDP have now come down to about 5,000 km. While the programme was initially envisaged to be completed by the FY22, it has faced the issue of delayed land acquisition, which remains a major concern for infrastructure projects.
While the award of works under the scheme is expected to be complete by FY23, execution of the projects will take an additional two years.
As of December 2020, projects of around 13,500 km length were awarded. By March 2021, work on another 2,500 km projects is expected to be given.
Project awarding activity of the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways and its implementing agencies like the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) and the National Highways Infrastructure Development Company (NHIDCL) has been robust.
The National Highways Authority of India is looking to raise around Rs 65,000 crore each in FY22 and FY23. NHAI will bank on funding modes, including an infrastructure investment trust and toll-operate transfer model to raise funds.