NEW DELHI: To avoid delays in project execution after award of works and prevent contractual disputes, the road transport ministry has set new milestones for
land acquisition
and environment, forest and wildlife clearances for all NH projects. The new norms will be applicable for projects for which tenders will be issued from June 1.Complying with the milestones is mandatory before receiving bids and issuing work orders, as per a recent circular. The stricter norms come considering that non-availability of required land and statutory approvals have been main reasons for delay in completion of highway projects and also resulting in cost escalation.As per the new norm, the agencies concerned must have environment and wildlife clearance, general agreement drawings of railways and utility shifting estimates in place before bids are received. Similarly, forest clearance needs to be obtained before issuing a letter of award to the successful bidder.For land acquisition, the new norm says that the agencies must issue 3D notification for over 90% of the required land before inviting bids and issue of 3G notifications must be completed for disbursement of compensation for more than 90% of land before issuing letter of award to successful bidders. The authorities must have over 90% of land under their possession on or before the start of work on ground.
The ministry, in the circular, said the aim of the new norms is to avoid delays.Taking note of problems related to land acquisition, recently Prime Minister Narendra Modi directed Cabinet secretary T V Somanathan to prepare a training capsule on land acquisition to sensitise civil services recruits about the process while noting how delay in getting land was resulting in time and cost overruns in
infrastructure projects
. In their initial postings, IAS officers are posted as SDMs, ADMs and DMs or collectors who are designated as competent authorities for land acquisition matters.The PM issued the direction at the Pragati meeting held last week while reviewing highway, railway and other infrastructure projects with Union secretaries and chief secretaries of states.“PM asked cabinet secretary T V Somanathan to take up this matter with the Lal Bahadur Shastri National Academy of Administration (LBSNAA), where civil servants undergo extensive training. As the competent authority for land acquisition are deputy commissioners or collectors, training them about the process during their time at the institute will be of great help,” said a source.to prepare a training capsule on land acquisition for new civil servant recruits. In their initial postings IAS officers are posted as SDMs, ADMs and DMs who are designated as competent authorities for land acquisition matters.
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