About a fortnight ago, the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) ticked off the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) for reckless speeding. In a letter, the PMO outlined suggestions for NHAI under three broad heads: reorganize portfolio, check commercial viability of projects and monetize assets.
The moot question is whether implementing the suggestions will stall the road development plans of the Narendra Modi government.
Already, after a robust FY19—the year preceding general elections—the pace of activity has slowed down. Year till date in FY20, a mere 500km of road projects have been awarded, raising doubts about NHAI’s ability to fulfil the targeted 7,000-8,000km for the year.
