Centre eyes stiff road target in Five-year plan

To get at least 47 per cent investment from the private sector during this 12th Five Year Plan (2012-17) period for construction of highways, the Union government is likely to set a stiff target for Road Transport and Highways Ministry. This is 9 per cent more than what the sector has got during the 11th Five Year Plan.

Out of the projected Rs 1.9 lakh crore investment from private players in the next five years, a large chunk of it - Rs 1.8 crore - will be used in National Highways Development Programme (NHDP). Total investment target set for the 12th Plan is around Rs 3.9 lakh crore against the achieved target of Rs 1.6 lakh crore during the previous period.

Sources concerned both in the ministry and NHAI (National Highways Authority of India ), the body responsible for executing projects under NHDP, feel the target for private investment is almost unachievable , considering the fact that prevailing market condition is not positive and developers are not even bidding for lucrative projects.