New Delhi: Around 75 per cent of the
projects completed by the National Highways Authority of India
so far were delayed due to various reasons, including land
acquisition problems, Parliament was informed on Wednesday.
In a written reply to a question in the Rajya Sabha,
Minister of State for Road Transport and Highways R P N Singh
said that out of 230 projects completed by the NHAI so far, a
total of 172, or 74.8 per cent, of the projects were delayed.
"123 projects currently under implementation
are also delayed," the minister said, adding that projects were mainly
delayed due to problems in land acquisition, shifting of
utilities, non-availability of environmental, forest and
railway clearances and legal disputes.
Regarding cost overruns due to the delay in
implementation of these projects, he said that the contracts,
awarded on an Engineering, Procurement and Construction basis,
had provisions for variation and cost escalation in case of
delays beyond the control of the contractors.
PTI
First Published: Wednesday, April 28, 2010, 18:37