Question : CONSTRUCTION OF FOUR LANE EAST WEST CORRIDOR

(a) whether the timeframe fixed for completion of construction work on the four lane East-West Corridor (Express Highway) on NH-31C and NH-31 from Sankosh River bridge at Srirampur, Bodoland to Guwahati touching the alignments within the districts of Kokrajhar, Bongaigaon, Barpeta, Nalbari and Kamrup on the northern bank of the river Brahmaputra, is not being adhered to;

(b) if so, the reasons therefor and the present status of the project;

(c) whether the construction companies which have been assigned the construction works, have maintained the riding quality of the old alignments of the said express highway as per the agreements signed between the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) and construction companies; and

(d) if not, the reasons therefor and the action taken or proposed to be taken by the Government against these construction companies along with the steps taken for expeditious completion of the project?

MINISTER OF ROAD TRANSPORT AND HIGHWAYS (DR. C. P. JOSHI)

(a) to (d) A statement is laid on the table of the house.

STATEMENT REFERRED TO IN REPLY TO PART (a) TO (d) OF THE LOK SABHA STARRED QUESTION NO. 126 ANSWERED ON 03.12.2012 ASKED BY SHRI SANSUMA KHUNGGUR BWISWMUTHIARY REGARDING ‘CONSTRUCTION OF FOUR LANE EAST-WEST CORRIDOR’

(a) to (d) The stretch Srirampur to Guwahati involves four laning of 256.80 km of National Highway number NH-31C and NH-31. There are 10 civil packages and details of the same are placed as Annexure. So far, 4-laning of 186.50 km has been completed, which amounts to 72.62% of the awarded length. The project was initially delayed mainly due to delay in Land Acquisition, utility shifting, delay in obtaining statutory clearances and tree cutting, poor law and order conditions, redesigning of bridge bearings and inadequate mobilization of manpower and machinery by the contractor. Utility shifting in some stretches are still remaining. Recent violence and kidnapping of the site supervisors/managers have also affected the progress of the works. A High Powered Committee under the Chief Secretary of the Government of Assam has been constituted. Meetings are held with the State Government from time to time to resolve various issues impacting the progress of the projects. Regular review meetings have been held with the Regional Offices of National Highways Authority of India (NHAI), Concessionaires and Contractors to resolve the bottlenecks impacting the progress of the projects. Contractors have been instructed for completion of the remaining works as per the revised schedule and any further delay beyond revised schedule will be attributed to them, invoking appropriate penal provisions. Existing road is being maintained in traffic worthy condition during construction.