THE MAHARASHTRA government has ordered a review of contracts for the construction of over 8,000 km of roads, being built under a public private partnership (PPP) model, in an order issued on Wednesday. The public works department directed an urgent review of all ongoing roadwork under Hybrid Annuity Model (HAM), introduced under the previous Devendra Fadnavis-led government.
“All chief engineers should review works being carried out under HAM,” stated the order, stating that Public Works Minister Ashok Chavan had called for a review at a meeting in June.
In September 2017, the previous BJP government introduced HAM for the construction of major district roads and state highways, where the cost of construction is shared with contractors, who maintain the road for 10 years and get returns on their investment on a deferred payment basis.
