THE MINISTER OF ROAD TRANSPORT AND HIGHWAYS
(SHRI NITIN JAIRAM GADKARI)
(a) to (e) A Statement is laid on the Table of the House.
STATEMENT REFERRED TO IN REPLY TO PARTS (a) TO (e) OF LOK SABHA STARRED QUESTION NO. 269 FOR ANSWER ON 11.07.2019 ASKED BY DR. SWAMI SAKSHIJI MAHARAJ AND SHRI BHOLA SINGH REGARDING PROJECTS UNDER CHAR DHAM PROGRAMME
(a) Ministry of Road Transport & Highways (MoRT&H) have taken up improvement and widening of 889 km of National Highways under Char Dham Programme at a total cost of Rs. 11,700 crores. This 889km NHs covering the entire length under Chardham program have been divided into 53 nos of Civil construction packages. Out of these 53 packages, civil works in 40 packages amounting to Rs. 9474 crore (including cost of pre-construction activities amounting to Rs. 491 crore) in 673 km length have already been sanctioned. Out of these sanctioned 40 packages, civil works contract in 34 packages amounting to Rs. 7923 crore for 604 km length have already been awarded, and works in 30 packages amounting to Rs. 7679 crore for 589 km length are ongoing and works in 2 packages amounting to Rs. 141 crore for the length of 1.1 km have been completed. In the remaining 2 packages amounting to Rs. 103 crore for 14.12 km length, the civil works construction is yet to start as declaration of appointed date is under process. The remaining 6 sanctioned packages amounting to Rs. 1060 crore for the length of 69 km are under tender. Of the balance 13 packages yet to be sanctioned, Detailed Project Reports (DPR) have been finalized in 5 packages and DPR for another 5 packages for the stretch from Gangotri to Dharasu (Bhagirathi Eco-Sensitive Zone) will be finalized after receipt of approval of Masterplan from Ministry of Environment, Forest & Climate Change (MoEF&CC). In the remaining 3 packages, DPR is under preparation.
(b) Expenditure of Rs. 2500 crores have been incurred on the Chardham program till date. Around Rs. 2800 Crores is likely to be spent on the projects in the current Financial Year. Total updated estimated cost of the Char Dham programme is Rs. 12,100 crores.
(c) MoRT&H is primarily responsible for deveIopment and maintenance of National Highways in the country. In Uttarakhand, linking of religious places with all-weather roads have already been included under Char Dham programme. In Jammu & Kashmir, NH-501 connecting NH-1 with Panchtarni, Chandanwari, Pahalgam, Anantnag has been notified as National Highways. Also in J&K, road connectivity to certain religious places have been taken up under CRF scheme. The list of such works sanctioned under CRF are at Annexure-I.
(d) The projects under Char Dham programme include widening of existing roads along with adequate/sufficient slope protection by way of construction of retaining walls and breast walls and by providing drapery system, netting, anchoring, reinforced wall etc. as per Detailed Project Reports. The projects also include mitigation measures/ stabilisation of chronic landslide & sinking spots/zones as standalone project or part of road widening projects to avoid land slide and safety of road users. Bio engineering methods like hydroseeding are being used for vegetative growth on fragile slopes for their stability. All these measures shall safeguard the highway and habitation against natural calamity.
(e) The works under Char Dham programme are being implemented on Engineering, Procurement and Construction (EPC) mode of contract. These projects are being implemented by 3 executing agencies of Ministry of Road Transport and Highways, viz, Uttarakhand State PWD, Border Road Organization (BRO) and National Highways & Infrastructure Development Corporation Limited (NHIDCL). For each project, a Supervision Consultant called Authority’s Engineer comprising of a team of Key Experts has been appointed for day-to-day supervision and monitoring of the construction works, which includes monitoring of quality control of the works as required under the contract agreement. This Supervision Consultant reports directly to the concerned executing agencies in respect of day to day progress and various other aspects of the project. Regular monitoring of progress of the work is done at the level of concerned executing agencies and also at Ministry’s level. Further, under this EPC mode of contract, the contractor is directly responsible for ensuring quality of the work as well as rectification of any defect and maintenance of the project stretch for a period of 4 years after completion of construction. The Char Dham Programme was initially targeted for completion by March, 2020. However, the schedule date of completion of the programme has been delayed mainly due to litigation related to forest and environment clearance in various courts of law. The section from Dharasu bend to Gangotri (94km) lies under Bhagirathi Eco-Sensitive Zone on which works can be taken up only after approval of Masterplan by MoEF&CC. Hence, the date of completion of the programme depends on the final outcome of the ongoing litigation and approval of Masterplan for Bhagirathi Eco-Sensitive Zone.
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