Increasing interest by private players in the highways sector has helped NHAI award 17 projects worth over INR 25,500 crore in the last six months, leaving the authority richer by over INR 17,000 crore in the form of premium.

Increasing interest by private players in the highways sector has helped NHAI award 17 projects worth over INR 25,500 crore in the last six months, leaving the authority richer by over INR 17,000 crore in the form of premium.

A senior Road and Transport Ministry official told PTI that of the 17 projects, 12 were bagged by private firms at premium since April this year.

Moreover, eight out of 12 projects, which bagged a premium of INR 17,223 crore, were those in which the government had approved grants to developers but instead received premium from the parties, indicating the business potential.

The projects earlier awarded on premium include Ahmedabad-Vadodara, Beawar-Pali-Pindwara, Barwa-Adda-Panagarh and Kishangarh-Udaipur-Ahmedabad stretches.

Besides these, in case of four projects including Jabalpur-Katni-Rewa and Jabalpur-Lakhnadon, the National Highways Authority of India has to pay less than approved grants, the official said.

All these projects will be built under National Highways Development Project the flagship road building program of the Transport Ministry.

(Sourced from Press Trust of India)