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National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) plans to award 10-15 percent more projects this year compared to FY16, said Yudhvir Singh Malik, Chairman of NHAI. Speaking to CNBC-TV18 Malik said they look to award closer to 5,000-5,200 kilometres of projects by the end of the fiscal year.In April 2016, Ministry of Road Transport and Highways had announced an ambitious target of awarding 25,000 kilometres of road projects in FY17. Of this, 15,000 would fall under NHAI and 10,000 under the Ministry and National Highways and Infrastructure Development Corporation (NHIDCL).Malik agreed land acquisition posed the biggest challenge in achieving the target. To counter this roadblock in future, he said, NHAI plans to avoid any project awards unless 80 percent of the land is in possession and statutory clearances received. He said availability of funds is not an issue in achieving the target.Malik also said the compensation process to land owners is being streamlined subsequent to which they are looking forward to achieve about 7-8 kilometres on a daily basis.A: The situation is that last year we awarded about 4,500 kilometers work. As against that, we have already completed about 2,800 kilometers works have been awarded. I am pretty hopeful that we would have awarded works for about 5,000 kilometers by the close of this year.One has to look at the complete life cycle of a road infrastructure project. I think your figures are a bit outdated. If I take the figures exactly up to December 31, it is 2,678 kilometers works which have been awarded already. When you look at the complete life cycle of a project, it has a number of major activities and land acquisition is one of the factors which is a challenge but I am sure that we would be able to achieve more than what we did last year, at least 10-15 percent more, notwithstanding the challenges that we have faced in this.We have also to appreciate that when we go through this life cycle, there has to be some kind of a catch up on certain things which has been seen that more time and effort we spend in planning stage, that is acquisition of land, ensuring that all the statutory clearances are available, all the work fronts are available, it takes lesser time in execution of the project.So, we are now trying that we should not be awarding any project unless 80 percent of the land is in our possession and the statutory clearances are available. I am sure we would be able to upscale this next year.A: Last year it was about 4,500 kilometers.A: Between 5,000 to 5,200 kilometers that is what I look at.A: No, availability of funds is not a problem at all. Land acquisition has been one of the big challenges. We are pursuing it, we have set systems in place now where we are expediting, we are following it up with people. So, I am sure that as against 4,500 kilometers, we would be crossing 5,000 kilometers this year.A: Let me tell you what happens; first of all a project is announced. The moment a project is announced, thereafter we start the pre-feasibility study for the Detailed Project Report (DPR) part of it where the land boundaries are fixed on both sides. The process of land acquisition has its own time which goes through 3A, 3B, 3D, 3G, which have certain timelines and then it is not entirely in the hands of NHAI.We entirely depend on the state authorities that is competent authorities appointed under the Land Acquisition Act which announces the award and then disburses the compensation to the land owners. The land owners certainly becomes sensitive and rightly so -- I don’t blame them that unless they have received the award money, the compensation amount, they are reluctant to pass the possession on. So, this process is now being further streamlined so as to ensure that we take up these activities in a parallel mode and we economise on time to the extent possible.A: We look at it then we should be able to achieve about 7-8 kilometers per day as the works get awarded, as the clearances are in position. Let us also appreciate one thing, that when it comes to the national highways, it is different from when you talk of a single road per kilometer. It is either four lane project or a six lane project.When you talk of a single lane, it is about 3.5 meter, a dual lane on one side would be about 7 meter plus and when it is four lane, it comes to about 14 meter and when it is six lane, it goes further up. So, the time certainly is more when it comes to the national highways. Therefore when you talk of per day kilometer target, you have to be realistic as compared to what you would be doing a rural road or what you would be doing a normal road in a state.The targets also include the targets which the ministry follows for the national highways where the works are executed through the state public works department (PWDs). Those are not entirely NHAI targets. The NHAI targets were set at about 6,000 kilometers against which there is some slowdown. We will be able to cross about 5,000 kilometers in terms of awarding the works.A: There is no constrain as far as the Budget part is concerned or tying up resources or funds are concerned. I have no issue. Raising of bonds or masala bonds, or sourcing funds from other sources is always directly related to my fund outflow requirement.There is no point that we should have the funds parked which are not required to be deployed in the project. So, there has to be a perfect matching to the extent possible between inflow as well as outflow. There is no point parking the funds.A: Tax free bonds, the finance ministry has taken a different view. I won’t be able to comment on that.