The National Highway Development Programme III (NHDP III) includes 12,000 km of roads that connect important cities, towns and state capitals (that have not been incorporated in the Golden Quadrilateral). The Cabinet till date has only approved four-lanes on 4,035 km of highways under the NHDP III A. With another 890 km of highway roads in Bihar coming under NHDP III-B, the state government was keen on clubbing it along with NHDP III A. However, this was easier said than done —- it required the Cabinet’s approval. The Cabinet also took into account the increased cost, further delaying the process.
The Road Transport Ministry had to justify the higher construction cost. For instance, the 130-km Patna-Buxar project has five bypasses and two bridgess. The 89-km Muzzaffarpur-Sonbarsa highway project runs across a floodprone area that needs embankments. Cross-drainage and six more bridges will also be taken into account.
Another factor that was much debated was the low traffic density on some of these roads, which did not merit that they be made four laned.
Finally, sources said, the CoS voted in favour of these “important stretches” as they provided connectivity to the international border and the North-east. The economics and viability will now be decided by the interministerial Public Private Partnership Appraisal Committee (PPPAC).
Source- The Indian Express, Dated, March-06,2007
