The government’s efforts to push activity in the highway sector with the use of its own funds (EPC projects) have delivered only moderate results. Just 30 per cent of the highway construction target for 2016-17 was achieved in the first nine months of the year. When it comes to award of new projects, the accomplishment during April-December was even lower at 27 per cent of the yearly target. That means that the pace of highway construction was 17 km a day, compared to the 41 km-per-day goal set by the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways.
Ministry sources said admitting that things are far behind schedule, the sources said at best 10,000 km of new highways, two-thirds of the target, could be built this year.