Govt eyes Rs 30k cr personal funding in freeway initiatives

The Centre has drawn up a Rs 2.02-lakh crore funding plan to construct highways within the subsequent monetary yr and Rs 30,000 crore of this sum is anticipated to return from the personal sector, a senior official mentioned Friday. The latter quantity might be raised by way of hybrid annuity mannequin (HAM) and build-operate-transfer (BOT) initiatives.
The Union Budget had allotted Rs 1.18 lakh crore for highways from the central coffers—the very best ever—and round Rs 65,000 crore is to be raised from further budgetary assets, together with borrowings.
“In addition to the budgetary resources and IEBR [Internal and Extra Budgetary Resources], additional fund generation sources are being tapped for highway projects and an expected private investment of Rs 30,000 crore in 2021-22 through HAM and BOT projects,” Road Transport and Highways Secretary Giridhar Aramane informed reporters Friday.
The total funds of the ministry stands at Rs 2.13 lakh crore.
The National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) has monetised two bundles of TOT (toll-operate-transfer) comprising 9 initiatives every with size of 681 and 566 km, and acquired a bid quantity of Rs 9,681 crore and Rs 5,011 crore, respectively, he mentioned. “In addition, bidding for two TOT [Toll Operate Transfer] bundles of about 54 km and 106 km is underway.”
The Secretary mentioned the infrastructure funding belief mechanism is being utilised to generate funds from international and home institutional buyers, and 5 operational roads have been recognized to be transferred to the InvIT. The concern might happen in March 2021 to lift an anticipated Rs 5,000 crore, he added.
About the National Infrastructure Pipeline, Aramane mentioned the present goal for the nationwide highways sector is to take up the implementation of 1,820 initiatives by 2024-25 in about 89,300 km at an estimated value of Rs 19.35 lakh crore.

“Out of this, 86 projects of 4,414 km for Rs 32,000 crore have been completed and 1,059 projects costing Rs 6.70 lakh crore are in progress,” he mentioned.
Total estimated fund availability from all sources for NH initiatives beneath NIP has elevated from about Rs 1.72 lakh crore to Rs 2.02 lakh crore, he mentioned.
The flagship Delhi-Mumbai Expressway might be expedited whereas the Bengaluru-Chennai Expressway’s building will start in 2021-22, the official mentioned.
Work on the Delhi-Dehradun Economic Corridor will start this fiscal and the Kanpur-Lucknow Expressway venture will start in 2021-22.
Aramane additionally mentioned a 277-km Chennai-Salem hall might be awarded quickly and building would begin subsequent fiscal. In addition to those, the 464-km Raipur-Visakhapatnam venture passing by way of Chhattisgarh, Odisha and north Andhra Pradesh might be awarded within the present yr and building will begin in 2021-22.