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Government starts work on Rs 5,763-crore Eastern Peripheral Expressway

By PTI | 28 Dec, 2015, 08.16PM IST

NEW DELHI: The construction work on the Rs 5,763-crore eastern peripheral expressway has begun as the government has set a deadline of 400 days to complete the project, which will help in decongesting the traffic in the national capital.

The commencement of work followed after Union Road Transport and Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari earlier this month set a deadline of 400 days to complete the project.

“We have commenced work on some of the six packages of the 135 km expressw .. Read more at:

http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/articleshow/50356629.cms?from=mdr&utm_source=contentofinterest&utm_medium=text&utm_campaign=cppst

Malaysian Co. to Bid for EPE and other highway projects worth US$1 billion

Published: 7 October 2014

The Malaysian Construction Industry Development Board (CIDB) has offered to bid for five highway projects costing about US$1.45 billion (RM3.26 billion) based on the public-private partnership (PPP) mode, The Times of India reported.

“It’s a welcome sign since the government’s outgo will reduce significantly if we get bidders on PPP mode.

“If we go for engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) mode we have to bear 100% of the cost,” India’s road transport secretary Vijay Chhibber was quoted as saying in the report.

He also confirmed that the government had accepted CIDB’s proposal.

Chhibber said National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) would be responsible for initiating bids for two of these highway projects, adding that his ministry would invite bids for the rest.

The NHAI will re-invite bids on a build, operate and transfer (BOT-toll) mode for the Eastern Peripheral Expressway (EPE) and Ambala-Kaithal stretch.

The ministry will invite bids for three projects in Punjab, the English daily reported.

The EPE is a 135km proposed road which will bypass Delhi on the eastern side while Ambala-Kaithal is 96km project in the state of Haryana. – Bernama, October 7, 2014.

– See more at: http://www.themalaysianinsider.com/business/article/cidb-to-bid-for-india-highway-projects-worth-us1-billion#sthash.NaykSGPa.dpuf

NHAI to offer six packages for Eastern Peripheral Expressway

Mansi Taneja  |  New Delhi 

September 11, 2014 Last Updated at 00:46 IST

To promote competition and thereby hasten projects, the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) plans to split the Eastern Peripheral project expressway into six packages. This is part of a larger strategy under which two more expressways are likely to be bid out in a similar way.

NHAI has floated three separate bids of shorter stretches for the Eastern Peripheral, which is likely to cover 135 km between Sonipat in Haryana to Palwal in Uttar Pradesh, bypassing Delhi. “Offer for qualification for the three packages has been made. The three packages would be further broken into three,” said an official. Beside splitting the Eastern Peripheral Expressway worth Rs 3,500-4,000 crore into six, the Delhi-Meerut Expre-ssway worth Rs 6,500 crore might be split into three, the official added. Due to land acquisition issues, NHAI was also considering making the Delhi-Meerut Expressway (about 70 km) an elevated stretch.

HITTING THE ROAD
  • NHAI to restructure Expressway projects to promote competition & fast-track execution of projects
  • Delhi-Meerut Expressway, for around 70 km, likely to be bid out in three phases as elevated stretch
  • Eastern Peripheral Expressway, around 135 km, to be bid out in six smaller stretches, bids already out as three parts
  • Vadodara-Mumbai Expressway, around 540 km, also to be bid out in three stretches, feasibility study going on currently

In order to deal with declining interest from private players to participate in the build, operate and transfer (BOT) mode, the government is increasingly shifting towards an EPC (engineering, procurement and construction) mode, wherein the government funds the project. BOT requires a private-sector developer to raise and invest money for the construction of roads at its own risk, while NHAI acquires land for the project.

This will be the second time the Delhi-Meerut Expressway and Eastern Peripheral would be coming up for bidding. This is time, it’s on the EPC mode.

Besides, a feasibility study on Vadodara-Mumbai Expressway for 540 km has also started.

“Efforts are on to put this project on bids in three phases. The first phase is expected to be bid out this financial year,” said the official cited above.

The project is estimated to cost Rs 8,000-10,000 crore. The process for restructuring as many as 25-30 projects, which have been stuck due to various reasons, has already started in NHAI. Many road projects are stalled by developers running short of cash and the government has recently allowed some developers to reschedule the payment of premiums.

Premiums are rescheduled when developers cannot service their debt, operating expenditure or pay NHAI.

During 2010-2012, developers had bid aggressively when the government awarded a record 147 road projects worth Rs 1.47-lakh crore. At that time, India’s economic growth was much higher but it slowed subsequently and input and inflationary costs have gone up since.

http://www.business-standard.com/article/economy-policy/nhai-to-offer-six-packages-for-eastern-peripheral-expressway-114091001532_1.html

ईस्टर्न पेरीफेरल एक्सप्रेसवे निर्माण की प्रक्रिया शुरू

Updated: Wed, 27 Aug 2014 01:01 AM (IST) | Published: Tue, 26 Aug 2014 10:24 PM (IST)

By: Editorial Team

संजय सिंह, नई दिल्ली। दिल्ली में यातायात का दबाव कम करने के लिए कुंडली से पलवल के बीच पूर्व की ओर अर्द्धगोलाकार ईस्टर्न पेरीफेरल एक्सप्रेसवे (ईवे) के निर्माण की प्रक्रिया प्रारंभ हो गई है। इस संबंध में भारतीय राष्ट्रीय राजमार्ग विकास प्राधिकरण (एनएचएआई) ने पात्र कंपनियों का चयन करने के लिए निविदाएं मांगी हैं। कंपनियों के चयन के छह महीने के भीतर निर्माण का काम शुरू होने की उम्मीद है।

इस 135 किलोमीटर लंबे छह लेन के ईस्टर्न पेरीफेरल ईवे का निर्माण तीन चरणों में ईपीसी (इंजीनियरिंग, प्रोक्योरमेंट एंड कंस्ट्रक्शन) ठेके पर होगा। पहले चरण में (कुंडली, एनएच-1) से 46 किमी (एनएच-58 इंटरसेक्शन) तक, दूसरे में 46 से 90 किमी (ताज एक्सप्रेसवे इंटरसेक्शन) तक और तीसरे में 90 से 135 किमी (पलवल, एनएच-2) तक सड़क का निर्माण होगा। तीन खंडों के लिए अलग-अलग निविदाएं मांगी गई हैं। पहले खंड पर 1,291 करोड़, दूसरे पर 1,177 करोड़ रुपये, जबकि तीसरे पर 1,325 करोड़ रुपये की लागत आने का अनुमान है। पूरे एक्सप्रेसवे को तीन साल में पूरा करने का लक्ष्य है।

इस एक्सप्रेसवे के निर्माण की मंजूरी पिछली संप्रग सरकार ने चुनाव से ठीक पहले दी थी, लेकिन काम शुरू नहीं हो सका था। अब दिल्ली व उत्तर प्रदेश के सांसदों की मांग पर मोदी सरकार ने उस अधूरी प्रक्रिया को तेज करने का निर्णय किया है। इस संबंध में पिछले दिनों दिल्ली के सांसदों ने सड़क परिवहन एवं राजमार्ग मंत्री नितिन गडकरी से मुलाकात की थी

ईस्टर्न पेरीफेरल ईवे को राष्ट्रीय राजमार्ग का दर्जा देते हुए इसे एनएच-एनई-2 नाम दिया गया है। इस हाईवे के बनने से जालंधर-लुधियाना या चंडीगढ़ की ओर से आगरा-कानपुर-कोलकाता की ओर जाने अथवा वहां से आने वाले वाहनों को दिल्ली में प्रवेश की जरूरत नहीं पड़ेगी। ये वाहन बाहर-बाहर निकल जाएंगे। इससे दिल्ली की जनता को रात में जाम से कुछ राहत मिलेगी, वहीं हरियाणा और उत्तर प्रदेश में बुनियादी ढांचे के साथ-साथ सामाजिक-आर्थिक विकास भी तेज होगा। यह एक्सप्रेसवे उत्तर प्रदेश में बागपत, गाजियाबाद, गौतमबुद्धनगर और हरियाणा में फरीदाबाद, पलपल व सोनीपत को छुएगा।

ईस्टर्न पेरीफेरल एक्सप्रेस-वे को पहले सार्वजनिक-निजी भागीदारी में बीओटी (बिल्ट, ऑपरेट एंड ट्रांसफर) ठेके पर पूरा करने की कोशिश की गई थी। लेकिन उसमें टोल दर निर्धारण समेत कई झमेले आ गए। लिहाजा सरकार को बीओटी का आइडिया रद्द करना पड़ा। अब जल्द काम खत्म करने के लिए नई सरकार ने इसे ईपीसी ठेके पर पूरा कराने का निर्णय लिया है।

– See more at: http://naidunia.jagran.com/national/eastern-peripheral-expressways-construction-process-begins-169965#sthash.fTiaRkoQ.dpuf

Centre sets 3-year deadline to complete stalled expressways

Agencies | Aug 21, 2014, 04.12 AM IST

NEW DELHI: Eyeing elections in Delhi, Centre has set a deadline of three years to complete the Eastern and Western Peripheral Expressway, which aim to decongest Delhi roads.

The Centre’s decision has come after a delegation of all seven Delhi MPs met minister for road transport and highways, Nitin Gadkari, on Wednesday, in teh presence of PWD and NHAI officials.

Delegation also demanded an elevated corridor between Delhi and Meerut, which is later to be extended to Haridwar, so that the volume of traffic on this stretch could be minimized.

“There is a dire need to decongest Delhi’s Ring roads from heavy vehicles entering from Haryana and Uttar Pradesh. In the meeting, Gadkari has set a deadline of three years for the completion of Eastern Peripheral Expresway and Western Peripheral Expressway,” BJP national spokesperson and Delhi MP Meenakshi Lekhi said.

The two expressways — each about 135km long –were planned in 2006 following a Supreme Court order to form a ring road outside Delhi for channelling non-Delhi bound traffic bypassing the national capital.

Eastern Peripheral Expressway aims to provide signal-free connectivity between Ghaziabad, Faridabad, Greater Noida and Palwal while the Western Expressway connects Kundli to Palwal via Manesar.

“Although Centre has given three years for the completion of project, contractor, who complete work in lesser time, will be given an incentive by the centre. We want this project to be completed as soon as possible so that Delhi roads decongest,” Lekhi said. She added that they also demanded that electric and telephone wires, gas piplines be laid underground while contructing expressways

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/gurgaon/Centre-sets-3-year-deadline-to-complete-stalled-expressways/articleshow/40544312.cms

After private sector’s no show, government to fund eastern peripheral expressway project

By TNN | 11 Jun, 2014, 12.22PM IST

ET SPECIAL:

NEW DELHI: After failing to get private players to build the eastern peripheral expressway (EPE) on toll mode in the past six years, the government is now set to fund the project. To push widening of the Gurgaon-Jaipur highway stretch, bankers have been asked to submit their plan to replace the present developer before the August 23 deadline.

These were two of the delayed projects discussed at a high level meeting on Tuesday, where officials from NHAI and road ministry were present.

Sources said the road ministry will soon move a proposal on the public funding of EPE for government approval. The 135 km expressway project connecting Palwal (NH-2), Ghaziabad (NH-24) and Kundli (NH-1) would cost government about Rs 4,500 crore.

TOI has learnt that government funding won’t be a bad proposition in comparison to the proposal of providing government assistance upto 40% to make the project financially viable for any successful private player. In case of government funding, NHAI will have the right to collect toll and recover the investment.

According to officials, there was detailed discussion on the much delayed Gurgaon-Jaipur highway project in which the bankers also participated. “We have asked them to submit their plan to replace the developer. Since the lead banker has to consult the other financial institutions who have provided loan to this project, we have given them time. We expect them to come out with the proposal in the next few weeks,” said a official who was present in the meeting.

This paper, on Tuesday, had mentioned the likelihood of the developer Pink City Expressway Ltd (PCEL) being replaced for its poor performance. Since in all such projects, the finances of banks are involved, so they have the first right to substitute the developer.

If the bankers fail to do so, NHAI can take over the project, sources said.

The road ministry and NHAI also discussed the much delayed six-laning of Panipat-Jalandhar highway project. Officials said that a decision was taken to file a review petition in the Supreme Court seeking re-examination of its verdict. The apex court had directed NHAI to allow shifting of two toll plazas and granting extension till March 2015 to complete the project.

The SC verdict came in April after the concessionaire Soma Isolux filed a petition in the apex court challenging the May 2013 order of Punjab and Haryana high court. The HC had imposed Rs 60 crore and Rs 7 crore fine on the company and its director respectively for inordinate delay in completion of the project. It had also directed NHAI to take over the project and commence work immediately.

 

http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/economy/infrastructure/After-private-sectors-no-show-government-to-fund-eastern-peripheral-expressway-project/articleshow/36382275.cms

No bids for expressway

There is no sign of the Eastern Peripheral Expressway (EPE) project around Delhi becoming a reality by even 2015 with the tender for its construction not finding any takers. The NHAI is now planning to extend the bid last date.

NHAI sources said though more than a dozen firms had pre-qualified for the project, none of them submitted financial bids. When this was brought to the notice of highways minister C P Joshi on Friday, he asked the highway authority to hold talks with the contractors to find out what was stopping them from submitting financial bids after pre-qualifying.

Though prevailing market conditions and low interest of contractors are cited as the main reasons for no private player bidding for NH projects, questions are being asked whether the highways ministry lost a golden opportunity last year to bid out the project.

“We could have got premium (upfront annual revenue) if the project was awarded last year when there was huge interest among bidders. But the indecision over toll rate delayed awarding of the project,” an NHAI official said.
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/delhi/No-bids-for-expressway/articleshow/15645727.cms

एक्सप्रेस-वे में देरी पर एनएचएआई को नोटिस

First Published:28-12-12 11:07 PM

गाजियाबाद। वरिष्ठ संवाददाता

एनसीआर के पर्यावरण प्रदूषण प्राधिकरण (प्रविेंशन एंड कंट्रोल) के अध्यक्ष भूरेलाल ने कहा कि ईस्टर्न पेरीफेरल एक्सप्रेस-वे के निर्माण में देरी के लिए सुप्रीम कोर्ट ने भारतीय राष्ट्रीय राजमार्ग प्राधिकरण (एनएचएआई) को नोटिस दिया है। इस मामले की 11 जनवरी को सुनवाई है। प्रयास किया जाएगा कि यह एक्सप्रेस-वे जल्दी से जल्दी बन जाए।

यहां एक कार्यशाला में भाग लेने आए भूरेलाल ने कहा कि ईस्टर्न पेरीफेरल एक्सप्रेस-वे के निर्माण में देरी हुई है। सुप्रीम कोर्ट ने 2005 में इसका निर्माण कराने को कहा था, लेकिन यह अभी तक बन नहीं पाया है। भूरेलाल ने बताया कि इस देरी के लिए सुप्रीम कोर्ट ने एनएचएआई को नोटिस जारी किया है। इस मामले में 11 जनवरी को सुनवाई है। यह एक्सप्रेस वे हरियाणा, दिल्ली व यूपी से होकर गुजरेगा। भूमि अधिग्रहण लगभग पूरा हो गया है।

उन्होंने कहा कि जून 2009 में इसको बन जाना चाहिए था। फैक्ट फाइल-कुंडली से पलवल तक बनना है ईस्टर्न पेरीफेरल एक्सप्रेस-वे -66 गांवों की 981 हेक्टेयर जमीन का अधिग्रहण होना है-गौतमबुद्ध नगर जिले के 39 गांवों की 374 हेक्टेयर भूमि अधिग्रहीत होनी है-गाजियाबाद जिले के 17 गांवों की 363 हेक्टेयर जमीन का अधिग्रहण होना है-बागपत जिले के 11 गांवों की 215 हेक्टेयर जमीन का अधिग्रहण होना है-135 किलोमीटर लंबा है यह एक्सप्रेस-वे-उप्र में 85 किलोमीटर गुजरेगा यह एक्सप्रेस-वे-25 किलोमीटर गाजियाबाद जिले में रहेगा यह एक्सप्रेस-वे-2676 करोड़ रुपये का है यह प्रोजेक्ट————–एनसीआर में बे-रोकटोक दौड़ेंगे एक-दूसरे शहर के टेंपोगाजियाबाद।

एनसीआर में चारों राज्यों की बसें व टैक्सियां एक-दूसरे के यहां जा सकती हैं, लेकिन अभी टेंपो पर अमल होना बाकी है। आरटीओ वीके सिंह ने बताया कि गाजियाबाद की बसें व टैक्सियां दिल्ली और दिल्ली की बसें व टैक्सियां गाजियाबाद आ-जा सकती हैं। टेंपो पर सहमति बन गई है। सिर्फ औपचारिकताएं बाकी हैं। जल्द ही यह पूरी हो जाएंगी। इसके बाद हरियाणा, उप्र, दिल्ली, राजस्थान के जो शहर एनसीआर में आते हैं उनके टेंपो एक दूसरे के यहां आ-जा सकेंगे।

http://www.livehindustan.com/news/location/rajwarkhabre/article1-story-39-0-293606.html&locatiopnvalue=1

 

Expedite the process of completing expressways

Dec 28, 2012, 06.26AM IST

Some disruption is inevitable when there is work being done on a major entry point into the city. However, much of the current chaos on this route, particularly at night is because of the enormous volume of truck traffic passing through. Had the proposed eastern and western peripheral expressways come up, as they should have by 2010, much of this traffic would have been bypassing Delhi instead of clogging its internal roads. The government must expedite the process of completing these expressways. In the case of the western bypass, this would mean speeding up the work, but on the eastern side the project has not even been awarded yet. We have waited long enough, it’s time we got some action.

http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2012-12-28/times-view/36036988_1_expressways-internal-roads-traffic

 

Concessionaire gets stern EPCA warning

Wednesday, 28 November 2012 18:08

Rajesh Kumar | New Delhi

Taking a serious note of the tardy pace of work on the Eastern and Western Peripheral Expressways that has resulted in time and cost overrun, the Supreme Court-appointed committee has put the construction company on notice.

In its latest report to the Supreme Court, the Bhure Lal Committee, known as Environment Pollution Control Authority (EPCA), warned the concessionaire on Tuesday to either stand by its commitment to complete the project by May 31, 2013 or forsake all claims on the project and hand over construction work to the Haryana Government.

In the case of the WPE, due to the indifferent attitude displayed by the concessionaire, the EPCA has asked the Haryana Government to consider taking over the project and confiscate the investment made and undertake the construction itself.

It would be pertinent to mention that despite regular monitoring of the project by the high level committee, both WPE and EPE have been delayed. The EPE is still on paper till date while only 60 percent work of the WPE has been completed.

In the report, EPCA has alleged that the delay in completion of this expressway has had a considerable negative impact on ambient air quality of Delhi. The State of Delhi is suffering despite paying the cost of land acquisition in the ratio 50:25:25 between Delhi, Haryana and UP, as approved by SC.

The Haryana Government in its communication to EPCA, has also submitted a note which states that it is concerned over the unsatisfactory performance of the concessionaire and is open to taking all measures and comply with directions of the court.

“The deadline of the WPE project was June 2009. The Haryana Government had awarded the contract for the project on a BOT basis to the present concessionaire for completion by June 2009. However, there is virtually no progress particularly on the Kundli-Manesar segment, which is vital to decongest Delhi and to reduce pollution considerably. This expressway, once commissioned, will ensure that goods traffic emanating from Himachal Pradesh, Punjab, Haryana and Western Uttar Pradesh, bound to Jaipur, Maharashtra and Gujarat will have easy and faster access without using Delhi as a corridor,” the EPCA report stated.

On the Eastern Peripheral Expressway (EPE), Lal has sought direction to direct the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) to undertake construction work of the project immediately and ensure completion within three year and a half from the date of direction. The report was submitted to the Supreme Court, has highlighted the slow and tardy pace of work of two mega project and sought direction from the court to authorities and States involved in the project so that it could be completed on time.

http://www.dailypioneer.com/city/111724-concessionaire-gets-stern-epca-warning.html

Govt. approves Rs. 16,680 cr. Highway plan

New Delhi: The government on October 19 said it had approved building over 1,000 kms of expressways under its flagship road building program NHDP, entailing an investment of Rs. 16,680 crore.

The projects include 400-km- long Vadodara-Mumbai, 66- km-long Delhi-Meerut, 334- km-long Bangalore-Chennai, and 277-km Kolkata-Dhanbad expressways.

“The construction of 1,000 kms of expressways under the National Highways Development Project (NHDP) Phase-VI through Public Private Partnership (PPP) at a total cost of Rs. 16,680 crore has been approved by the Union government,” Road Transport and Highways Ministry said in a statement.

In addition, there is a proposal to develop the National Expressway II — Eastern Peripheral Expressway– connecting NH-1 near Kundli and terminating on NH-2 near Palwal.

The government has earlier announced plans to set up EAI to facilitate building of over 18,000 km of roads catering to high-speed traffic at a cost of about Rs. 4,50,000 crore.

It had plans to build 18,637 km, of expressways in three phases by 2022.

The 11th Five-Year Plan (2007-12) also suggested setting up the EAI to formulate and implement expressways under the Master Plan.

http://www.indiatribune.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=7224:govt-approves-rs-16680-cr-highway-plan&catid=125:general-news&Itemid=400

 

 

ईस्टर्न पेरिफेरल एक्सप्रेस वे ने पकड़ी रफ्तार

Story Update : Saturday, April 14, 2012    1:25 AM

भूमि अधिग्रहण की समस्याएं दूर करने में जुटा प्रशासन

गाजियाबाद। ईस्टर्न पेरिफेरल एक्सप्रेस वे परियोजना में आ रही अड़चनों को दूर करने की कसरत तेज हो गई है। गाजियाबाद प्रशासन भूमि अधिग्रहण की दिक्कतों को खत्म करने में जुट गया है। प्रशासन ने दुहाई की जमीन का अवार्ड घोषित कर दिया है। 20 अप्रैल को डीएम आरवीटेशन पर सुनवाई करेंगी। वहीं एनएचएआई ने भी परियोजना की बिड जारी करने की तैयारी पूरी कर ली है।
ईस्टर्न पेरिफे रल एक्सप्रेस वे दिल्ली से सोनीपत तक जाएगा। यह एक्सप्रेस वे दिल्ली के चारों ओर गोलाई में घूमेगा। इस प्रोजेक्ट में गाजियाबाद के 16 गांवों की 375 हेक्टेयर जमीन आ रही है, जिनमेें विहंग, रेबड़ा रेबड़ी, मनौली, भदौली, मिलक चाकरपुर, नवीपुर, बसंतपुर सैंतली, भिक्कनपुर, दुहाई, कनौजा, मटियाला, रसूलपुर सिकरोड, डासना, इकला सादतपुर, इनायतपुर और आरिफपुर शामिल हैं। डासना और दुहाई को छोड़कर बाकी 14 गांवों की जमीन के अधिग्रहण की कार्रवाई पूरी हो चुकी है। प्रशासन ने दुहाई की 51.36 हेक्टेयर जमीन का 1482 रुपये प्रति वर्ग मीटर के हिसाब से अवार्ड घोषित कर दिया है। अब सिर्फ प्रशासन को डासना में जमीन के अधिग्रहण का मसला सुलझाना है। डासना में 55.78 हेक्टेयर जमीन का अधिग्रहण होना है। यहां के किसान बाजार भाव पर जमीन का मुआवजा देने की मांग कर रहे हैं।

क्या बोले अधिकारी
ईस्टर्न पेरिफेरल एक्सप्रेस वे की दिक्कतों को दूर किया जा रहा है। अंडरपास और सर्विस रोड बनाने के प्रस्ताव एनएचएआई को भेज दिए हैं। डासना की जमीन का प्रस्तावित अवार्ड भी एनएचआई को भेजा है। आरके शर्मा, एडीएम प्रशासन

डासना के किसानों ने जमीन अधिग्रहण पर स्टे ले रखा है। एनएचएआई स्टे को वैकेट कराने की कोशिश करा रहा है। बिड की तैयारियां भी पूरी कर ली हैं। मनोज गुप्ता, प्रोजेक्ट डायरेक्टर एनएचएआई

http://www.amarujala.com/city/Ghaziabad/Ghaziabad-15419-111.html

GoM meeting in April to clear EPE roadblock

Surabhi : New Delhi, Fri Mar 30 2012, 00:41 hrs

 

http://static.indianexpress.com/frontend/iep/images/dot.jpgNearly two months after Prime Minister Manmohan Singh called for speedy clearance of the long pending Eastern Peripheral Expressway (EPE), a group of ministers (GoM) is expected to meet in early April to resolve the issue of toll rates for the proposed project.

Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee is expected to chair the meeting of the GoM, which includes Planning Commission deputy chairman Montek Singh Ahluwalia and highways minister CP Joshi. “The meeting was originally scheduled for late February but it was not held as the finance minister was busy with Budget preparations. It is now likely to be held in the early part of next month,” an official close to the development said.

The project may have to be taken to the Cabinet for a third time depending on the outcome of the meeting. “If the toll is fixed at 1.5 times the normal rate, we will have to seek approval from the Cabinet Committee on Infrastructure,” the official said.

The 135-kilometre long EPE proposes to connect Kundli in Haryana to Palwal in the same state via Baghpat, Ghaziabad and Noida in Uttar Pradesh. A complementary Western Peripheral Expressway (WPE) also connects Kundli to Palwal via Manesar in Haryana. The two expressways were planned in 2006 following a Supreme Court order to form a ring road outside Delhi for channelling non-Delhi bound traffic bypassing the national capital.

But while the WPE is being implemented by the Haryana government, the EPE remains stuck due to major differences amongst Central ministries over its proposed toll rates despite being cleared by the Public Private Partnership Committee five times.

Joshi is backed by Ahluwalia in his demand for a 150 per cent higher toll rate than a normal highway for the EPE on the grounds that it is a ‘bypass’ road.

“The purpose of this project is mainly to regulate traffic going via Delhi and not traffic that is originating or terminating in Delhi. By any standards, it will perform the role of a bypass,” the Planning Commission has said.

http://www.indianexpress.com/news/gom-meeting-in-april-to-clear-epe-roadblock/930306/0

यूपी-हरियाणा के शहरों को जोड़ेगा एक्सप्रेस-वे

27 Mar 2012, 0900 hrs IST

पीटीआई॥ नई दिल्ली : गंगा और यमुना एक्सप्रेस-वे की तर्ज पर केंद्र सरकार ने उत्तर प्रदेश और हरियाणा के विभिन्न शहरों को जोड़ने के लिए 2700 करोड़ रुपये की लागत से 135 किमी लंबा ईस्टर्न पेरिफेरल एक्सप्रेस-वे बनाने का फैसला किया है।केंद्रीय सड़क परिवहन और राजमार्ग राज्य मंत्री जितिन प्रसाद ने सोमवार को लोकसभा को बताया कि 2700 करोड़ की कुल परियोजना लागत से ईस्टर्न पेरिफेरल एक्सप्रेस (ईपीई) को बनाने का फैसला किया गया है। इसकी लंबाई 135 किलोमीटर होगी। ईपीई को कुंडली में नैशनल हाइवे-1 पर वेस्टर्न पेरिफेरल एक्सप्रेस-वे (डब्ल्यूपीई) से जोड़ने और हरियाणा के पलवल में राष्ट्रीय राजमार्ग संख्या-2 से जोड़ने का प्रस्ताव है।

उन्होंने बताया कि इस एक्सप्रेस-वे की लंबाई 135 किलोमीटर होगी और यह उत्तर प्रदेश में बागपत, गाजियाबाद, गौतमबुद्ध नगर और हरियाणा में फरीदाबाद और पलवल से होकर गुजरेगी।

केंद्रीय सड़क परिवहन और राजमार्ग राज्य मंत्री ने बताया कि भूमि अधिग्रहण और पुनर्वास जैसे कार्यों पर अनुमानित लागत 1441 करोड रुपये आ सकती है। इस परियोजना के निर्माण में 42 महीनों का समय लगने की संभावना है। चूंकि यह परियोजना अभी शुरू नहीं की गई है इसलिए इसके पूरे होने की संभावित तिथि के बारे में कोई फैसला नहीं किया जा सका है। उन्होंने विभु प्रसाद तराई और प्रबोध पांडा के सवालों के लिखित जवाब में बताया कि इस एक्सप्रेस-वे को वेस्टर्न पेरिफेरल एक्सप्रेस वे से भी जोड़ा जाएगा।

http://navbharattimes.indiatimes.com/articleshow/12418126.cms

MoRTH divided over higher toll rate for Eastern Peripheral Expressway

Amitav Ranjan : New Delhi, Thu Mar 01 2012, 01:14 hrs

There is fresh objection to charging higher toll on the proposed Eastern Peripheral Expressway (EPE), and it comes from within the Ministry of Road Transport & Highways (MoRTH). The EPE proposes to connect Kundli to Palwal in Haryana through Ghaziabad.

Additional Secretary and Financial Advisor Vijay Chibber has written to the Finance Ministry that terming the EPE as a bypass road from its national highway status would lead to higher toll and would also require subsidy from the government. “…we are not only levying a higher tariff on the people but also increasing the risks to be adopted by the prospective concessionaire and hence the need for providing viability gap funding as against a positive revenue stream,” Chibber wrote last week.

Last November, the Finance Ministry rejected MoRTH Minister CP Joshi’s push to levy a higher toll on the EPE than that on the Western Peripheral Expressway as it would divert traffic to WPE and impact EPE’s viability. The WPE, awarded to DS Construction in 2008, will connect Kundli to Palwal in Haryana through Manesar. Moreover, it said the Public Private Partnership Appraisal Committee (PPPAC) had reconfirmed five times that the EPE was not a bypass road but an NH and therefore, bypass toll of 1.5 times the highway rate was not applicable.

EPE and WPE, together, are conceived to form a ring road outside Delhi for channeling non-Delhi bound traffic without entering the national capital.

But Joshi and the Planning Commission are adamant on reversing the PPPAC decision which was based on the backing by the NHAI and MoRTH. Chibber’s contention is based on NHAI estimates which show that even at normal NH rates, the EPE toll would be higher than WPE toll by 60 to 75 per cent and would divert 22 per cent of the traffic to WPE.

If the EPE was considered as a bypass, its toll rates would be 96 per cent to 111 percent higher than the WPE toll.

“Taken together with the uncertainty regarding the extent of traffic diversion, the increase in risk and uncertainty is likely to lead to extremely erratic and inconsistent bids, which is not desirable,” he argues, adding that there was likelihood that NHAI would have to come back later to the government for VGF or for terming EPE as an NH.

Miffed by the inordinate delay and internal dissensions over the EPE, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh last week intervened to set up a GoM comprising Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee, Joshi and Planning Commission Deputy Chairman MS Ahluwalia to “resolve the matter”.

The letter from the PMO cautions: “The PM has observed that this matter has been considerably delayed. He has desired that the matter should be brought to the Cabinet Committee on Infrastructure if the ministers take a considered decision to overrule the decision of the PPPAC”.

The Plan panel too is divided on the issue with Member BK Chaturvedi putting on record that “if the PPPAC decisions are to be overturned and matters which are delegated to it are to go to Cabinet afresh, we might as well abolish the PPPAC”.

Member Secretary Sudha Pillai has supported the view and reiterated that imposition of a higher toll would be “contrary to the government policy” and would “not be in public interest”.

However, Ahluwalia has supported the higher bypass rate: “MoRTH has decided to treat EPE as a bypass and therefore, Planning Commission does not have any objection in this regard.”

http://www.indianexpress.com/news/morth-divided-over-higher-toll-rate-for-eastern-peripheral-expressway/918383/0

PMO asks ministerial panel to resolve EPE toll row

TNN | Feb 28, 2012, 01.34AM IST

NEW DELHI: The Prime Minister’s Office has stepped in to end the toll charge row over the crucial Eastern Peripheral Expressway (EPE), one half of the ring expressway around Delhi. It has reportedly asked a group of ministers comprising finance minister Pranab Mukherjee, highways minister C P Joshi and Planning Commission deputy chairman Montek Singh Ahluwalia to take a decision on the toll charge proposed for the 135-km stretch connecting Palwal and Kundli in Haryana via Ghaziabad.

Sources in the highways ministry said the project, caught up in the toll controversy, was likely to come up in the next Cabinet meeting on Thursday. “Now the group of ministers will decide about the toll charge to be levied before it comes up for clearance by the Cabinet,” a source said.

When the project was conceived, the finance and highways ministries had agreed that it should be treated as a highway but the highways ministry recently changed its stand. It proposed that the expressway be treated as a bypass to Delhi. This would have led to a toll 50% more than what is charged on any NH stretch.

Ironically, before sending the proposal to the Cabinet, the highways ministry had asked the finance and law ministries and Planning Commission about their stand on the toll. While the finance ministry stuck to its earlier stand, the plan panel supported higher toll.

Moreover, despite NHAI opposing such a move claiming that higher toll would make the project financially unviable and end up benefiting the competing facility of Western Peripheral Expressway (the other half of the ring) besides putting a strain on people, the highways ministry supported the plan panel proposal.

Due to the controversy, necessary clearances for EPE have been delayed by months and the cost of the project has gone up. “Higher toll will make the project less attractive. The cost has gone up by Rs 300 crore in three-and-a-half years to Rs 2,699 crore,” an NHAI official said.

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/delhi/PMO-asks-ministerial-pa…

 

20 Feb, 2012, 03.27AM IST, Vikas Dhoot,ET Bureau

Peripheral expressway may be stalled once again due to differences between Planning Commission & FinMin

NEW DELHI: A long-pending Rs 3,000-crore peripheral expressway around the national capital could get stalled again due to differences between the Planning Commission and the finance ministry. Prime Minister Manmohan Singh will chair a meeting of the Cabinet Committee on Infrastructure (CCI) this week to consider the 135-kilometre eastern peripheral expressway for the third time in six years.

In April 2011, the PM had asked for the project, first cleared in 2006, to be awarded as soon as possible. But that clearance is being re-visited, thanks to a controversial proposal by road minister CP Joshi to allow the expressway builder to charge a toll rate 150% higher than other expressways. Finance minister Pranab Mukherjee has asked Joshi’s ministry to explain how a higher toll rate is ‘in public interest’.

Montek Singh Ahluwalia, PM’s trusted aide, however, is firmly behind Joshi. Ahluwalia, deputy chairperson of the Planning Commission, has over-ruled reservations expressed by the commission’s member in charge of infrastructure BK Chaturvedi.

The CCI has 18 members, including Mukherjee and Joshi. Ahluwalia is a special invitee to the panel. Joshi’s push for a higher toll by treating the expressway as a ‘bypass road’ marks a complete shift from his own ministry’s stance till April 2011 and all past Cabinet approvals for the project.

Mukherjee has asked the roads ministry to ‘confirm that the change in stand now is in public interest’. The finance ministry has opposed the higher toll rate stating that it will divert traffic volumes and result in ‘undue benefits’ to the developer of a competing western peripheral expressway.

According to current rates, riders from Haryana and Punjab approaching or seeking to go around the capital on the western peripheral expressway would pay around 108. To traverse the same length on the eastern expressway would cost Rs 162.

Chaturvedi has said that the expressway’s toll rate ‘should not be re-opened’ as the Cabinet had already delegated the matter to the Public Private Partnerships Appraisal Committee (PPPAC). Though higher toll rates may attract better bids for the project, he has warned that ‘to that extent, people would be taxed more… the expressway’s usage may get limited,’ vitiating the very purpose of the project. But the Plan Panel’s official position on the Cabinet note, urgently dispatched last week at the behest of the PMO’s new principal secretary Pulok Chatterjee, makes light of such concerns.

“Planning Commission concurs with the proposala¦It is for the ministry to decide, after taking all factors into account, whether this is a bypass or a highway and subject to that decision, the relevant toll rate should be applied,” Ahluwalia has said in the note.

Dismissing Chaturvedi’s point about the PPPAC’s role, Ahluwalia has said that it is an ‘official level committee’ and the road transport and highways minister is ‘not bound by it’. Road secretary AK Upadhyay refused to discuss details, but told ET: “It is now up to the cabinet to take a decision on the expressway and the toll rate for it.”

The Supreme Court had asked for two peripheral expressways around the capital to de-congest its roads from inter-state traffic, which the Centre approved in 2006 with a completion deadline of 2010. The western expressway was awarded in 2006 but has missed the deadline. Twenty four bidders have qualified for the eastern expressway, whose estimated cost has steadily risen from around Rs 2,400 crore in 2007.

UP Residents to be Hit Hard

A higher toll rate for the expressway, which would mostly service road users approaching the capital from Uttar Pradesh, could turn into a political issue. “This would be too much for UP residents to bear,” said BJP’s state general secretary Rakeshji. “We will tell voters about the UPA’s plan to charge them 150% more than other expressway users.” Areas around the expressway like Dadri, Ghaziabad and Jewar vote in the state’s assembly polls on February 28.

 

http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/economy/infrastructure/peripheral-expressway-may-be-stalled-once-again-due-to-differences-between-planning-commission-finmin/articleshow/11956519.cms

Cabinet to clear eastern part of KMP Expressway next week

Moushumi Das Gupta, Hindustan Times
New Delhi, February 15, 2012

The Prime Minister’s Office on Tuesday stepped in to ensure that there is no further delay in implementing the ambitious project to complete a ring road around Delhi. The road will let nearly 2 lakh vehicles skip the Capital every day and help ease traffic congestion. Hindustan Times had

on February 10 reported how the 135-km Eastern Peripheral Expressway (EPE) – half of the 270-km road around Delhi -had failed to take off because of bureaucratic indecisiveness. The road was first approved by the Public Private Partnership Appraisal Committee (PPPAC) way back in 2007.

Along with the Western Peripheral Expressway (WPE), which is being implemented by the Haryana government and is nearing completion, the eastern expressway would have completed the ring road and provided an alternative route to inter-state traffic not bound for Delhi and helped decongest city roads.

http://www.hindustantimes.com/Images/HTEditImages/Images/15-02-12-metro2b.jpgAt a meeting chaired by principal secretary to the Prime Minister Pulok Chatterjee on Tuesday, it was decided that the EPE proposal would be placed before the Cabinet Committee on Infrastructure (CCI) for clearance next week.

AK Upadhyay, road secretary, Sudha Pillai, member secretary, Planning Commission and R Gopalan, secretary, Department of Economic Affairs, attended the meeting among others.

“The EPE proposal would be placed before the CCI meeting scheduled next week for approval,” said an official.

The project has been held up since 2007 as the government had been unable to decide how much commuters should pay for using this stretch.

But now the Centre seems to have agreed to the road ministry’s stand to charge toll tax 50% more than rates charged on other national highways and the WPE.

The road ministry had earlier wanted toll rates of bypass roads – 1.5 times more than what is charged on national highways. Their argument: the EPE is a bypass, not a highway.

The move to levy more toll had invited criticism from some senior panel officials and the Finance Ministry on the grounds that it would go against “public interest” and make the project “unviable” vis-à-vis WPE.

http://www.hindustantimes.com/India-news/NewDelhi/Cabinet-to-clear-eastern-part-of-KMP-Expressway-next-week/Article1-811557.aspx

 

एक्सप्रेस वे पर संकट

Story Update : Wednesday, February 15, 2012    1:32 AM

एनएचएआई से खफा किसानों ने मुरादनगर में की पंचायत
गाजियाबाद। एनएचआई की नीति के विरोध में ईस्टर्न पेरिफेरल एक्सप्रेस वे से प्रभावित किसान लामबंद हो गए हैं। किसानों ने एनएचएआई पर त्रिपक्षीय समझौते के उल्लंघन का आरोप लगाया है। साथ ही मार्च में शुरू होने वाले एक्सप्रेस वे के निर्माण को रोकने की चेतावनी दी है। किसान एक्सप्रेस के साथ सर्विस रोड और बीच-बीच में अंडर पास बनाने की मांग की रहे हैं। इसके लिए किसानों ने मंगलवार को मुरादनगर ब्लॉक के गांव रेबड़ी-रेबड़ा गांव में विकास संघर्ष समिति के नेतृत्व में पंचायत की।
पंचायत में किसानों ने अधिग्रहीत जमीन का भुगतान, सर्विस रोड और अंडर पास बनाने को मंजूरी दिए बगैर एक्सप्रेस वे का निर्माण न होने देने का ऐलान किया है। किसानों का आरोप है कि एनएचएआई और प्रशासन के साथ त्रिपक्षीय समझौते में सर्विस रोड और अंडर पास बनाना तय हुआ था। बावजूद इसके समझौते का पालन नहीं किया जा रहा। न तो सर्विस रोड बनाई जा रही और न अंडर पास। विकास संघर्ष समिति के महासचिव सलेक भइया ने बताया कि जब तक समझौते का पालन नहीं होगा एक्सप्रेस वे नहीं बनने देंगे। प्रशासनिक अधिकारी भी किसानों को मांगों को हल्के में ले रहे हैं। अब आंदोलन होगा। सलेक भइया ने प्रभावित किसानों को पुनर्वास नीति के तहत जीडीए की आवासीय योजनाओं में रियायती दर पर भूखंड आवंटित करने की मांग की। पंचायत में जगवीर मास्टर, अनिल त्यागी, शिवराज त्यागी, राजपाल, लखमी प्रधान, कर्ण सिंह, जय करण, खड़क सिंह, जयवीर सिंह, राजेंद्र प्रधान और ज्ञान सिंह आदि शामिल थे।

http://www.amarujala.com/city/Ghaziabad/Ghaziabad-13893-111.html

Cabinet to clear eastern part of KMP Expressway next week

Moushumi Das Gupta htreporters@hindustantimes.com

NEW DELHI:

The prime minister’s office has stepped in to ensure there’s no further delay in implementing the ambitious project to complete a ring road around Delhi -to let 200,000 vehicles bypass the Capital every day.

Hindustan Times had on February 10 highlighted how the 135-km Eastern Peripheral Expressway -one half of the project -had failed to take off due to bureaucratic indecisiveness.

At a meeting on Tuesday, chaired by Pulok Chatterjee, principal secretary to the PM, it was decided that the cabinet committee on infrastructure would clear the project next week

The Prime Minister’s Office on Tuesday stepped in to ensure that there is no further delay in implementing the ambitious project to complete a ring road around Delhi. The road will let nearly 2 lakh vehicles skip the Capital every day and help ease traffic congestion.

Hindustan Times had on February 10 reported how the 135-km Eastern Peripheral Expressway (EPE) -half of the 270-km road around Delhi -had failed to take off because of bureaucratic indecisiveness. The road was first approved by the Public Private Partnership Appraisal Committee (PPPAC) way back in 2007.

Along with the Western Peripheral Expressway (WPE), which is being implemented by the Haryana government and is nearing completion, the eastern expressway would have completed the ring road and provided an alternative route to inter-state traffic not bound for Delhi and helped decongest city roads.

At a meeting chaired by principal secretary to the Prime Minister Pulok Chatterjee on Tuesday, it was decided that the EPE proposal would be placed before the Cabinet Committee on Infrastructure (CCI) for clearance next week.

AK Upadhyay, road secretary, Sudha Pillai, member secretary, Planning Commission and R Gopalan, secretary, Department of Economic Affairs, attended the meeting among others.

“The EPE proposal would be placed before the CCI meeting scheduled next week for approval,“ said an official.

The project has been held up since 2007 as the government had been unable to decide how much commuters should pay for using this stretch. But now the Centre seems to have agreed to the road ministry’s stand to charge toll tax 50% more than rates charged on other national highways and the WPE.

The road ministry had earlier wanted toll rates of bypass roads -1.5 times more than what is charged on national highways. Their argument: the EPE is a bypass, not a highway.

The move to levy more toll had invited criticism from some senior panel officials and the Finance Ministry on the grounds that it would go against “public interest“ and make the project “unviable“ vis-à-vis WPE.

 

HT

पेरीफेरल हाइवे के लिए 12 गांवों की जमीन का रास्ता साफ

ग्नोएडा: जमीन अधिग्रहण के चलते लटका ईस्टर्न पेरीफेरल हाइवे का रास्ता साफ होने लगा है। जिले में 12 गांवों में जमीन अधिग्रहण की प्रक्रिया पूरी हो चुकी है। शनिवार को सड़क परिवहन एवं राजमार्ग मंत्रालय की तरफ से अधिग्रहण की अंतिम अधिसूचना जारी कर दी गई है। किसानों से 21 दिन के अंदर जमीन को लेकर आपत्तियां मांगी गई है। उम्मीद है कि जमीन अधिग्रहण की प्रक्रिया पूरी होने पर जल्द ही हाइवे का निर्माण कार्य पूरा हो जाएगा।

दिल्ली में बढ़ते वाहनों के दबाव को कम करने के लिए सड़क परिवहन और राजमार्ग मंत्रालय ने राजधानी के चारों तरफ एनसीआर को जोड़ते हुए ईस्टर्न पेरीफेरल हाइवे बनाने का निर्णय 2007 में लिया था। यह हाइवे हरियाणा के सोनीपत जिले से शुरू होकर बहादुरगढ़, बागपत, गाजियाबाद, गौतमबुद्धनगर, फरीदाबाद, गुडगांव व पानीपत आदि जिले की सीमा से होते हुए वापस सोनीपत पहुंच जाएगा। इसकी लंबाई 135 किलोमीटर होगी और यह छह लेन का होगा। हाइवे के निर्माण पर करीब 27 सौ करोड़ रुपये की लागत आने का अनुमान है। इस खर्चे को राष्ट्रीय राजमार्ग प्राधिकरण वहन करेगा। हाइवे के लिए कुल सात जिलों की 951 हेक्टेयर जमीन का अधिग्रहण किया जा रहा है। इनमें गौतमबुद्धनगर जिले के 16 गांवों की कुल 737 हेक्टेयर जमीन का अधिग्रहण का किया गया है। गौतमबुद्धनगर जिले में जमीन अधिग्रहण की प्रक्रिया 2008 में शुरू हो गई थी। किसानों को जमीन का मुआवजा सर्किट रेट पर दिया जा रहा था।

किसान ग्रेटर नोएडा की तर्ज पर मुआवजे की मांग को लेकर आंदोलन करने लगे। जिससे जमीन अधिग्रहण का मामला अधर में लटक गया। मार्च 2008 से हाइवे का निर्माण कार्य शुरू करने का लक्ष्य रखा गया था। निर्माण कार्य शुरू होने के तीन साल के अंदर पूरा होना था। जमीन अधिग्रहण को लेकर प्रशासन व सड़क परिवहन और राजमार्ग मंत्रालय के बीच कई दौर की बैठक हुई। इसके बाद जाकर किसानों को मुआवजे देने पर सहमति बनी। जिले के गांव बिसाहड़ा, बैरंगपुर, शमाउदीनपुर, बंबावड़, कोट, कूड़ीखेड़ा, बील अकबरपुर, भोगपुर, इमलियका, लड़पुरा, सिरसा व फतेहपुर अट्टा गांव में जमीन अधिग्रहण की अंतिम प्रक्रिया का अधिसूचना शनिवार को जारी कर दिया जाएगा। इससे हाइवे का निर्माण कार्य जल्द शुरू होने की उम्मीद जागी है।

Source: Dainik Jagran

 

Pranab questions delay in award of 46 highway projects

05 Jan 2012

 NEW DELHI:

 Finance minister Pranab Mukherjee has raised questions about the delay in awarding of at least 4,000km highway projects even after these works have got necessary approvals. The ministry handed over a list of 46 projects that are yet to be awarded and called for speeding up the process, sources said.

 Of these, 28 projects are to be awarded by NHAI, while the highways ministry will award the rest. Some of these projects were cleared by the Public Private Partnership Accounts Committee (PPPAC) in 2008. The projects include Eastern Peripheral Expressway (EPE) around Delhi, Khagaria-Bakhtiarpur, Ambala-Kaithal, Parwanoo-Solan, Trivendram-Tamil Nadu border, Jabalpur-Bhopal and Varanasi-Gorakhpur.

 Sources in the finance ministry said the issue was raised when highways minister C P Joshi met Mukherjee on Tuesday evening, where he pushed the proposal of clearing more highway projects by PPPAC.

 NHAI has set a target of awarding at least 7,300km on NHs during the current fiscal. So far, it has awarded about 4,500km, and tenders have been invited for another 1,000km.

 NHAI and highway ministry officials said that they would sent their response to the finance ministry, citing the reasons behind the delays in awarding of these projects. “Some of the projects have been restructured and bifurcated to incorporate necessary changes. In other cases, like in Kerala non-availability of land has been the main reason behind projects not taking off on time. Court cases have also delayed a few projects. The awarding of EPE is caught because of toll charge. There are different reasons for different projects,” said a senior highways ministry official.

 Sources in NHAI said that they have sent details of the projects to the highways ministry so that these could be submitted to the finance ministry. The highways ministry is pushing for a blanket approval from the finance ministry for widening of 15,000km highways to two lanes.

 http://www.today.in/business/pranab-questions-delay-award-46-highway-projects

 

Neighbouring states lukewarm to expressways: Dikshit
New Delhi |Tuesday, 2011 6:35:06 PM IST

Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit Tuesday expressed her disappointment over neighbouring Uttar Pradesh and Haryana’s “lukewarm” response in completing the eastern and western peripheral expressways, envisaged to decongest the capital’s traffic.

The eastern and western peripheral expressways were envisaged to reduce congestion of traffic in Delhi and for developing areas in Haryana and Uttar Pradesh.

“Delhi government agreed to provide 50 percent initial cost of the Rs.1,307 crore cost for the expressways. It has already released its share of Rs.653.50 crore, though the response from neighbouring state has been lukewarm. The project has not been completed in stipulated period resulting substantial traffic jams and wastage of fuel, Dikshit said at a workshop organised by the National Capital Region Planning Board.

She said the expressways are extremely important as a million cars pass through Delhi which is already burdened with lakhs of vehicles registered in the city itself.

The chief minister also urged the Planning Board to facilitate completion of eastern and western peripheral expressways to stop the movement of heavy transport vehicles, which are not registered in the capital, through Delhi.

–Indo-Asian News Service gsh/vd/dg

http://news.webindia123.com/news/Articles/Business/20111227/1899142.html

केएमपी : शहर को मिलेगा ज्यादा से ज्यादा फायदा
फरीदाबाद
फरीदाबाद से होकर गुजरने वाले केजीपी ( कुंडली – गाजियाबाद – पलवल ) रोड को हरियाणा में केएमपी ( कुंडली – मानेसर – पलवल ) के नाम से ही जाना जाएगा। क्योंकि हरियाणा की सीमा में जो रोड बनाई जानी है उसे केएमपी प्रोजेक्ट के साथ ही जोड़ दिया गया है और उसका विस्तार भी इसी के साथ होगा। फरीदाबाद में लगभग 9 किलोमीटर लंबे क्षेत्र से यह रोड निकल रही है। अभी तक फरीदाबाद के कई क्षेत्रों को इससे जोड़ा नहीं गया था , लेकिन पिछले दिनों हुई मीटिंग में डीटीपी के सुझावों के बाद इन्हें रोड में शामिल कर लिया गया है।

केएमपी के साथ होगा विस्तार : डीटीपी संजीव मान ने बताया कि केजीपी का लगभग 9 किलोमीटर का हिस्सा फरीदाबाद से होकर गुजर रहा है। वहीं दूसरी तरफ केएमपी रोड भी फरीदाबाद की सीमा से आकर मिल रही है। इसलिए बुधवार को हुई मीटिंग में यह फैसला लिया गया है कि हरियाणा में केजीपी का जो विस्तार होना है उसे केएमपी के साथ ही पूरा किया जाए , क्योंकि हरियाणा में केजीपी के लिए जमीन अधिग्रहण का काम लगभग पूरा हो गया है अब केवल रोड के निर्माण का काम शुरू होना है। उन्होंने बताया कि फरीदाबाद में यह एक्सप्रेस वे फज्जुपूर खादर , शांहजापुर , साहुपुरा , दुल्हेपुर , जफरपुर , मोटूका , अरूआ , मौजपूर , चांदपुर , छायंसा , नरियाला , नरहावली , अहमदपुर , मोहना , हीरापुर , अटेरना आदि गांवों से होकर गुजर रहा है।

कई नई चीजों को जोड़ा गया : संजीव मान ने बताया कि इससे पहले फरीदाबाद की बहुत सी मुख्य सड़कों , नहरों आदि को इस रोड के साथ नहीं जोड़ा गया था , लेकिन मीटिंग के दौरान रोड के लिए फरीदाबाद की तरफ से मांगे गए सुझावों में इन्हें रोड के साथ जोड़ने के सुझाव दिए गए। बल्लभगढ़ – सोहना रोड को इस रोड में जुड़वाया गया है। इसके अलावा उस रोड के डिजाइन में आगरा नहर का भी कहीं जिक्र नहीं था , आगरा नहर को भी रोड में जुड़वाया गया। साथ ही फरीदाबाद से होकर गुजरने वाले फ्रेट कॉरीडोर के अलाइनमेंट को भी रोड के प्लान में शामिल किया गया। इसके अलावा फरीदाबाद में नए कंट्रोल एरिया में शामिल 23 गांवों को भी रोड के साथ जोड़ा गया।

रोड के दोनों तरफ होगा अमेनीटी जोन : इस रोड के लिए अभी तक केवल 100 मीटर जमीन एक्वायर की गई है , जिसमें यह एक्सप्रेस वे बनेगा। उसके अलावा रोड के दोनों तरफ 100 मीटर जमीन ग्रीन बेल्ट के लिए रखी गई है। वहीं 100 मीटर जगह रोड के अंदर की तरफ चलने वाली ओरविटल रेल कॉरीडोर के लिए रखी गई है। इसके साथ ही रोड के दोनों तरफ 1 किलोमीटर एरिया को अमेनीटी जोन में रखा गया है। इससे पहले अमेनीटी जोन के लिए 2 किलोमीटर की जगह छोड़े जाने का विचार किया गया था , लेकिन बाद में इसे घटा कर 1 किलोमीटर कर दिया गया है। अमेनीटी जोन में केवल कुछ चुनिंदा गतिविधियों को करने की ही मंजूरी दी जाएगी। इस जोन में 50 एकड़ से कम जमीन पर होने वाली किसी गतिविधियों को मंजूरी नहीं दी जाएगी। इसके अलावा रोड के साथ केवल 12 तरह की गतिविधियों को मंजूरी दी जाएगी , जिनमें साइबर सिटी , एंटरटेनमेंट सिटी , एजुकेशन सिटी , मेडिकल सिटी जैसी गतिविधियां शामिल हैं।

केजीपी प्रोजेक्ट पर एक नजर : केजीपी एक्सप्रेस – वे भी करीब 135 किलोमीटर लंबा एक्सप्रेस – वे है। करीब साढ़े तीन हजार करोड़ रुपये की लागत से तैयार होने वाला यह एक्सप्रेस – वे एनएच -1 कुंडली से यमुना पार करने के बाद माविकलन , शरफाबाद के पास हिंडन नदी से एनएच -58 से होता हुआ डासना के पास एनएच -24 पर मिलेगा। यहां से यह एक्सप्रेस – वे एनएच -59 पर बीलअकबरपुर के पास से होता हुआ कासना – सिकंदराबाद रोड से यमुना के ऊपर से होता हुआ फज्जुपुर खादर , छांयसा ( मौजपुर के पास ) एनएच – 2 पर पलवल से जुड़ेगा। इनमें से दो ब्रिज यमुना नदी के ऊपर और एक ब्रिज हिंडन नदी के ऊपर बनाए जाएंगे।

-navbharat times

 Brakes on effort to bypass highway formula

Amitav Ranjan

Posted: Tue Dec 13 2011, 03:50 hrs

 The Finance Ministry has rejected outright Road Transport Minister C P Joshi’s attempt to impose a higher toll on the Eastern Peripheral Expressway (EPE) than that fixed for the Western Peripheral Expressway, a move that would have put the former at a disadvantage against its western counterpart.

Last month, the Department of Economic Affairs asked Joshi’s Ministry of Road Transport & Highways (MoRTH) to explain its change of stance while pushing the Planning Commission’s argument of charging on the EPE a toll 1.5 times that on any national highway.

More so, the DEA said, when the National Highways Authority of India, MoRTH and the Public Private Partnership Appraisal Committee (PPPAC) had reconfirmed several times that the project was not a bypass road but a normal highway and therefore, a bypass toll of 1.5 times the highway rate was not applicable.

“At earlier occasions, MoRTH has emphasised that application of bypass rates to the project is not merited since it is a new highway and application of higher toll rates would result in diversion of traffic to WPE, result in undue benefit to the WPE concessionaire and impact EPE’s viability,” the Department of Economic Affairs wrote on November 4.

“Hence, MoRTH may be advised to confirm that the change in stand now is in public interest. Bypass rates are also not justified on grounds of equity – the per unit rates charged on the EPE would be higher than paid by users on other national highways (costing at similar levels) and other expressways,” the DEA said while commenting on the MoRTH’s fresh proposal to the Cabinet Committee on Infrastructure. The DEA note said that its views were issued after obtaining Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee’s consent.

Both expressways are 135 km but the EPE is of six lanes while the WPE is of four. The two, together, would form a ring road outside Delhi for channeling non-Delhi bound traffic without entering the national capital.

The EPE, first approved by the PPPAC in May 2007, was scheduled for completion this month but has not been awarded till date for various reasons. Last April, it was approved by the CCI with the direction that the PPPAC decide its toll rate.

Ahead of the PPPAC meeting, Joshi gathered officials of NHAI, MoRTH and Planning Commission adviser Gajendra Haldea on May 10 to decide that the EPE stretch would attract a toll rate 1.5 times that for highways, as is applied on bypass roads, with the “liberty” to the concessionaire to lower the toll to suit the prevailing market conditions.

This decision came despite the Road Transport secretary’s view at the meeting that “EPE has already been declared a national highway… toll rates significantly higher than that of WPE might affect the viability of the project from a PPP point of view”.

The PPPAC decided 10 days later that the normal toll, as applicable to highways, would be charged on the EPE as it had been notified as a national highway. At the meeting, Planning Commission member secretary Sudha Pillai concurred with the PPPAC decision.

Joshi did not relent. He called the same set of officials on August 29 to decide a toll rate of 1.5 times and decreed the proposal be put up for the CCI’s approval.

“As the ministry feels, in accordance with the advice of the Planning Commission that toll rates applicable for a bypass (1.5 times the normal rates) should be made applicable to the EPE, this ministry now seeks a decision of the CCI, overruling the recommendations of the PPPAC to make the 1.5 times the normal rates to be applied for toll,” says the CCI proposal.

Though 24 bidders have qualified, the financial bids cannot be called until the toll is finalised.

“The undue delay in the implementation of the project is also likely to increase the cost of EPE and cost of land acquisition for the project. The delay in the bid process is also likely to adversely affect the bidder interest and impact the project viability,” the DEA said in its note.

The project cost has jumped to Rs 2,699 crore at September 2010 prices from Rs 2,333 crore in May 2007.

http://www.indianexpress.com/news/brakes-on-effort-to-bypass-highway-formula/886997/3

Montek Ahluwalia’s adviser blamed for delay in e’way project

Dipak Kumar Dash & Sidhartha, TNN Dec 12, 2011, 02.39AM IST

 

NEW DELHI: Montek Singh Ahluwalia’s adviser Gajendra Haldea is not just in the eye of a storm involving the resignation of 16 highway engineers.

Several ministries – from finance and highways to even the Planning Commission – are accusing him of holding up the Eastern Peripheral Expressway around Delhi.

Official documents accessed by TOI show that Haldea’s insistence on imposing a toll that is 1.5 times higher than the competing road project has “horrendously” delayed the award of the project by at least six months.

The papers also allege that delaying this project would benefit the Western Peripheral Expressway, being developed by a private developer.

The two projects will come up on either side of the national Capital and are expected to considerably ease traffic in the city. Documents show that even in November, Haldea had favoured a higher toll rate and had opposed the normal rate claiming that the 135-km road was being developed as a bypass. He had mentioned that lowering toll rate would not benefit the public as this would lead to a higher government liability in the form of higher viability gap funding.

Sources in the highways ministry said the Cabinet Committee on Infrastructure, while clearing the project, had mentioned that the expressway should be awarded with “zero” VGF. An official note by Planning Commission member Sudha Pillai in September shows how despite everyone agreeing to normal toll, only Haldea pushed for a higher rate.

In February, even the then highways secretary R S Gujral, who is now finance secretary, had said the road should be treated as a highway. Pillai had earlier agreed with Haldea on treating the road as a bypass but agreed with Gujral’s view later. Then the CCI in April and PPP Appraisal Committee in May gave the nod to the projects.

Last December, NHAI and road ministry had said that Haldea’s proposal of 1.5 times toll would make the EPE unviable and “bring undue benefit” to the WPE developer.

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/Montek-Ahluwalias-adviser-blamed-for-delay-in-eway-project/articleshow/11075626.cms

 

Toll rate not stalling e-way project, says Montek’s adviser

TNN Dec 13, 2011, 05.23AM IST
NEW DELHI: Gajendra Haldea, adviser to the deputy chairman of the Planning Commission, has denied a TOI report which suggested that his insistence on imposing higher toll on the Eastern Peripheral Expressway (EPE) around Delhi was holding up the project.

In a rejoinder to the news report titled ‘Montek’s adviser blamed for delay in e-way project’, which appeared on Monday (December 12), Haldea wrote, “The matter rests entirely with the ministry of road transport and highways. Since the PPPAC (PPP appraisal committee) meeting held in May last, this matter has not been referred to the Planning Commissi-on and the question of holding it up does not arise.”

Haldea also termed as false the suggestion that his insistence on higher toll had delayed the award of the project by at least six months, to the benefit of another private developer. Haldea had earlier told TOI that toll rates were governed by rules approved by the Cabinet and the EPE could be no different. “The 1.5-times higher toll is a ceiling. Based on competition or demand, the concessionaire can lower the toll rate. Where is the problem?” he asked.

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/Toll-rate-not-stalling-e-way-project-says-Monteks-adviser/articleshow/11089094.cms

 

जल्द बने ईस्टर्न एक्सप्रेस वे : ट्रैफिक पुलिस

16 Nov 2011, 0400 hrs IST

वरिष्ठ संवाददाता ॥ नई दिल्ली

दिल्ली ट्रैफिक पुलिस का मानना है कि ईस्टर्न पेरिफेरल एक्सप्रेस – वे बनने से राजधानी को काफी फायदा होगा। इससे रात के वक्त सड़कों पर कमर्शल वीइकल का रश कम हो जाएगा और सड़क हादसों में भी कमी आ जाएगी। ट्रैफिक पुलिस ने सरकार से कहा है कि एक्सप्रेस – वे बनाने का काम जल्द शुरू किया जाना चाहिए , ताकि दिल्ली को राहत मिल सके।

पिछले हफ्ते केंद्रीय शहरी विकास मंत्रालय ने एक मीटिंग बुलाई थी , जिसमें ट्रैफिक और ट्रांसपोर्ट से जुड़े ऐसे महत्वपूर्ण प्रोजेक्ट्स पर चर्चा होनी थी , जो लंबे समय से लटके हुए हैं और जिन्हें जल्द पूरा करने की जरूरत है। मीटिंग में ट्रैफिक पुलिस ने ईस्टर्न पेरिफेरल एक्सप्रेस – वे पर अपना पक्ष रखते हुए कहा कि इस प्रोजेक्ट को जल्द पूरा किया जाना चाहिए , क्योंकि इससे दिल्ली को भी फायदा होगा।

ट्रैफिक पुलिस का तर्क था कि रात के वक्त दिल्ली से बड़ी तादाद में ऐसे कमर्शल वाहन गुजरते हैं , जो किसी अन्य राज्य से आते हैं और उन्हें किसी अन्य राज्य में जाना होता है। चूंकि दिल्ली में कमर्शल वीइकल्स की एंट्री पर कई तरह की पाबंदियां हैं , ऐसे में अगर कोई ट्रक सुबह या दिन के किसी वक्त दिल्ली की सीमा पर पहुंचा है , तो उसके ड्राइवर को रात तक वहीं रुक कर एंट्री खुलने का इंतजार करना पड़ता है। इससे समय की बर्बादी तो होती ही है , ट्रक अगर कोई जरूरी सामान लेकर जा रहा है , तो उसकी डिलिवरी में भी अतिरिक्त समय लगता है। रात में जब एंट्री खुलती है , तो बड़ी तादाद में भारी वाहन दिल्ली से गुजरते हैं और इससे बड़ी संख्या में हादसे भी होते हैं।

ट्रैफिक पुलिस का कहना था कि एक्सप्रेस – वे बन जाने से एक तरफ जहां कमर्शल वीइकल्स के ड्राइवर को एंट्री खुलने का इंतजार नहीं करना पड़ेगा , वहीं दूसरी तरफ रात के वक्त सड़कों पर भारी वाहनांे का रश भी कम हो जाएगा। इससे सड़क हादसों में काफी कमी आ सकती है। सूत्रों के मुताबिक जल्द ही एक्सप्रेस – वे का मामला ग्रुप ऑफ मिनिस्टर्स की मीटिंग में रखा जाएगा और संबंधित विभागों से कहा जाएगा कि इस प्रोजेक्ट की अड़चनों को जल्द से जल्द दूर करके इस पर काम शुरू करवाया जाए।

गौरतलब है कि 2007 में ईस्टर्न पेरिफेरल एक्सप्रेस – वे प्रोजेक्ट को लेकर पहला प्रपोजल बनाया गया था। प्लानिंग कमिशन ने इसके निर्माण का जिम्मा नैशनल हाइवे अथॉरिटी ऑफ इंडिया को सौंपा था। एनएचएआई से यह भी कहा गया था कि 135 किलोमीटर लंबे इस एक्सप्रेस – वे को नैशनल हाइवे की तरह नहीं , बल्कि बाईपास की तरह बनाया जाए। यह एक्सप्रेस – वे सोनीपत के पास कुंडली से शुरू होगा और ग्रेटर नोएडा व गाजियाबाद से होते हुए पलवल तक जाएगा। चूंकि यह एक्सप्रेस वे दिल्ली से नहीं गुजरेगा , ऐसे में भारी वाहन दिल्ली के बाहर से ही निकल जाएंगे। ट्रैफिक पुलिस को उम्मीद है कि इससे रात के वक्त दिल्ली में होने वाले सड़क हादसों में 30 से 40 प्रतिशत की कमी आ सकती है।

फैक्ट फाइल

लंबाई : 135 किलोमीटर

लेन : 6, जरूरत पड़ने पर इसे 8 लेन का किया जा सकता है

एरिया : सोनीपत , फरीदाबाद ( हरियाणा ), बागपत , गाजियाबाद , गौतम बुद्ध नगर ( उत्तर प्रदेश )

प्रोजेक्ट कॉस्ट : 3000 करोड़ रुपये

इंटरचेंज : एनएच -1, एनएच -2, एनएच -24, एनएच -58, एनएच -91, एसएच -57, हिंडन एक्सप्रेस – वे और यमुना एक्सप्रेस – वे के इंटरसेक्शन पर

पुल और अंडरपास : तीन पुल नदी पर ( दो यमुना और एक हिंडन नदी पर ), 43 अन्य पुल , 59 अंडरपास

टोल प्लाजा : 2

वाहनों की अनुमानित संख्या : 1,00,000 (2021 तक )

प्रोजेक्ट पूरा होने की अवधि : टेंडर छोड़ने की तिथि से साढ़े तीन साल तक

http://navbharattimes.indiatimes.com/-/—-/articleshow/10744223.cms

Speed up eastern expressway work: Finance ministry

Dipak Kumar Dash, TNN Nov 14, 2011, 01.43AM IST

NEW DELHI: The finance ministry has asked the highway ministry to expedite the implementation of the ambitious Eastern Peripheral Expressway (EPE) project, which aims at decongesting Delhi roads by constructing an expressway around the capital. It has also shot down the proposal for levying a toll one-and-a-half times higher than that of any other national highway (NH) or expressway, and raised questions as to whether or not the ministry’s shift in stand to charge higher toll is in “public interest”.

The proposal for a higher toll on the 135km expressway was first made by the Planning Commission earlier this year in its communication with the highway ministry. It had said the project should be treated as a bypass and not as a national highway, and that in case a highways project is treated as a bypass, commuters would have to pay a higher toll.

The then highway secretary R S Gujral had initially objected to the proposal in his letter dated February 3, 2011 to the plan panel member secretary, saying bypass toll rates, if applied, may render the EPE unattractive, and lead to “diversion of the overall traffic, especially through the Western Peripheral Expressway (WPE), the other half of the ring expressway around Delhi”.

The ministry had observed that such a move would be anti-people. But it changed its stand later and supported the proposal despite the NHAI having already shortlisted the bidders. A note was prepared subsequently to award the project with 1.5 times the normal toll and forwarded to the finance ministry and the PMO.

TOI had earlier reported that the PMO in a letter issued to the ministry had asked it to circulate the proposal among the department of economic affairs (DEA), the law ministry and the Planning Commission for their opinion before going ahead with it. In its recent communication with the highway ministry, the DEA says that the highway ministry may be advised to confirm that the change in stand now is in public interest. It further says levying bypass rates are not justified on grounds of “equity”.

It adds that further delay is likely to increase the cost of the project and that delay in the bidding process is also likely to affect the bidder’s interest and impact project viability. The project was first considered by the Public Private Partnership Accounts Committee (PPPAC) in 2007 and was finally approved by the Cabinet Committee on Infrastructure (CCI) in May 2011. “Due to delay in implementation of the project, hundreds of lives are lost every year on Delhi roads. A substantial percentage of the fatal accidents are caused by heavy and commercial vehicles. If both the EPE and WPE projects were expedited, we could have prevented loss of many lives,” pointed out an NHAI official.

http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2011-11-14/delhi/30397040_1_highway-ministry-eastern-peripheral-expressway-epe

E-way project around Delhi hits bottleneck

Dipak Kumar Dash, TNN Oct 31, 2011, 04.47AM IST

New Delhi: Even as the highways ministry has been pushing its plan to award more projects to meet its ambitious target to improve road construction, it seems to be delaying the 135-km expressway project around Delhi.

The ambitious project – eastern peripheral expressway (EPE) – that is likely to improve long distance traffic between Kolkata and states such as Punjab, Himachal Pradesh and Jammu and Kashmir though is getting delayed because of a ‘controversial’ stand taken by the Planning Commission and highways ministry.

The ministry’s plan to take up the project as a bypass has received a setback after the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) was informed about this. The PMO in a letter issued to the ministry early last month said before going ahead, it should circulate the new proposal to the department of economic affairs (DEA), law ministry and the Planning Commission to take their opinion.

Though the project was cleared by the Cabinet Committee on Infrastructure ( CCI) and the Public Private Partnership Accounts Committee (PPPAC) to be taken up as a normal national highway (NH), first the Planning Commission proposed that the EPE be treated as a bypass and now highways ministry has also joined the chorus. Once a stretch is considered as a bypass, the toll rate on the project is 1.5 times higher than other NH stretches.

Ironically, the ministry had earlier in its submission before the PPPAC supported the need to take up the project as a normal highway. In his letter dated February 3, 2011 to the member secretary, Planning Commission, then highways secretary R S Gujral had said that bypass toll rates, if applied, may render the EPE unattractive and lead to “diversion of overall traffic, especially through Western Peripheral Expressway (WPE), the other half of the ring expressway” around Delhi. But now the ministry has changed its stand and so the PMO has asked the ministry to submit the detailed plan of the toll that will be charged by the developer of WPE before a final view is taken.

http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2011-10-31/india/30341556_1_highways-ministry-epe-pppac

ईस्टर्न पेरीफेरल एक्सप्रेसवे पर लगा ग्रहण

नई दिल्ली, जागरण ब्यूरो : राजधानी दिल्ली की सड़कों से ट्रैफिक का बोझ कम करने के सुप्रीम कोर्ट के निर्देशों के बावजूद टोल की वसूली दर को लेकर सहमति नहीं बन पा रही है। इसके चलते ईस्टर्न पेरीफेरल एक्सप्रेसवे के निर्माण में अब और विलंब होने का खतरा पैदा हो गया है। यह कंुडली एनएच 1 से शुरू होकर गाजियाबाद में एनएच 24 और पलवल में एनएच 2 को जोड़ेगा। इस एक्सप्रेस वे की कुल लंबाई 135 किलोमीटर है। इसको पब्लिक प्राइवेट पार्टनरशिप एकाउंट्स कमेटी (पीपीपीएसी) ने सामान्य नेशनल हाई वे प्रोजेक्ट मानकर निर्माण की मंजूरी दी थी। मगर योजना आयोग और परिवहन मंत्रालय के एक विवादास्पद निर्णय के कारण सारा मामला अधर में पड़ गया है। इसके कारण जम्मू- कश्मीर, पंजाब और हिमाचल को उत्तर प्रदेश, बिहार, झारखंड व पश्चिम बंगाल के राष्ट्रीय राजमार्गो से जोड़ने वाले इस एक्सप्रेसवे के निर्माण में अब और और विलंब होने की संभावना है। योजना आयोग के सचिव ने 3 फरवरी, 2011 को पत्र लिखकर इस एक्सप्रेसवे प्रोजेक्ट को सामान्य राष्ट्रीय राजमार्ग (एनएच) प्रोजेक्ट के बजाय बाइपास मानकर टेंडर में टोल वसूली का प्रावधान शामिल करने को कहा है।

http://in.jagran.yahoo.com/epaper/index.php?location=43&edition=2011-11-01&pageno=2


ईस्टर्न एक्सप्रेस-वे के लिए फाइनेंशियल बिड अधर में

Sep 28, 05:13 pm

फरीदाबाद, जागरण संवाद केंद्र : सोनीपत से फरीदाबाद तक बनने वाले ईस्टर्न एक्सप्रेस-वे की योजना फिलहाल ठंडी पड़ गई है। तकनीकी पहलुओं पर कंपनियों का चयन हुए दो माह हो गए हैं, लेकिन अब तक इस योजना के लिए फाइनेंशियल बिड नहीं रखी गई है। इस प्रक्रिया को पूरा करने के लिए भारतीय राष्ट्रीय राजमार्ग प्राधिकरण के अधिकारियों के पास 45 दिनों का समय था।

विदित हो कि ईस्टर्न एक्सप्रेस-वे का निर्माण करने के लिए एनएचएआइ के पास करीब 25 कंपनियों ने आवेदन दिया था। तकनीकि पहलुओं के आधार पर विभाग ने इन 25 कंपनियों में से 24 कंपनियों का चयन किया था, जिनमें से किसी एक कंपनी को चुना जाना था। इस प्रक्रिया के लिए विभाग को फाइनेंशियल बिड रखनी थी, जोकि अब तक नहीं रखी गई है। सूत्रों के अनुसार उच्चाधिकारियों के बीच इस योजना को लेकर चल रहे विवाद के कारण यह योजना आगे नहीं बढ़ पा रही है। एनएचएआइ के योजना निदेशक मनोज कुमार गुप्ता ने बताया कि उच्चाधिकारियों की ओर से अब तक फाइनेंशियल बिड के कोई आदेश नहीं आए हैं। 24 कंपनियों में से किसी एक कंपनी का नाम तय होना है। इस प्रक्रिया को जल्द पूरा करने के लिए उच्चाधिकारियों से लगातार संपर्क साधा जा रहा है।

बता दें कि 135 किलोमीटर लंबा एक्सप्रेस-वे 2699 करोड़ रुपये की लागत से तैयार होना है। एक्सप्रेस-वे तैयार हो जाने के बाद सोनीपत, फरीदाबाद, बागपत, गाजियाबाद और गौतमबुद्ध नगर सीधे तौर पर आपस में जुड़ जाएंगे। एनएच-एक कुंडली से यमुना को पार करने के बाद यह एक्सप्रेस-वे माविकलन, शरफाबाद के पास हिंडोन नदी से एनएच 58 के दुहाई से होता हुआ दासना के पास एनएच 24 पर मिलेगा। यहां से यह एक्सप्रेस-वे एनएच 59 पर बीलकबरपुर के पास से होता हुआ कासना-सिकंदराबाद रोड (सिरसा के निकट) से यमुना के ऊपर से होता हुआ फज्जुपुर खादर, अटाली छांयसा (मौजपुर के पास) एनएच 2 पर पलवल पहुंचेगा। एक्सप्रेस-वे के साथ इस योजना में तीन रिवर ब्रिज बनाने का भी प्रस्ताव है। इसमें एजुकेशन हब, मेडिकल हब, मनोरंजन केंद्र आदि गतिविधियां शामिल हैं।

http://in.jagran.yahoo.com/news/local/haryana/4_6_8280929_1.html

CBI begins probe into change in highway design

TNN Sep 3, 2011, 02.38am IST

NEW DELHI: In an alleged case of corruption by top NHAI officials to spare the land of two “influential” entities, CBI has registered preliminary enquiry against a general manager. In this case, NHAI and highway ministry officials allegedly reduced the radius of Dasna interchange in Ghaziabad on Eastern Peripheral Expressway (EPE) project to benefit the two private parties undermining design and safety aspects. This modification is expected to escalate the cost of the interchange project by Rs 50 crore.

CBI officers confirmed that a PE was registered against V K Rajawat, general manager (technical), and several others officials of NHAI. They claimed that the officials succeeded in getting the alternative proposal submitted by two entities – Hindon River Mills and Sunder Deep Education Society — approved by the monitoring committee set up for this project.

http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2011-09-03/india/30110076_1_nhai-officials-highway-ministry-cbi-officers

E-way in Centre’s court, delay likely

Dipak Kumar Dash, TNN | Aug 31, 2011, 01.57AM IST

NEW DELHI: The Eastern Peripheral Expressway aimed at decongesting Delhi roads and reducing fatalities, is likely to be delayed further. Even after the Cabinet Committee on Infrastructure and PPP Accounts Committee cleared this project as a normal national highway (NH) the highways ministry wants it to be developed as a bypass. Now the project needs the Centre’s nod to get the final go-ahead before the work is awarded to a private developer.

The decision to refer the case to the Centre was taken at a meeting chaired by highways minister CP Joshi on Monday evening. Sources said the minister favoured to ‘reiterate’ the need to develop this 135-km stretch as a bypass, which will mean that the toll charges on this corridor will be one-and-a-half times more than any other NH. Though the Planning Commission had earlier supported this view, a top functionary told TOI that now they don’t support the need to develop it as a bypass.

Joshi took the recent decision over a fortnight after he had deferred the financial bidding of this project.

All this has been happening for months despite the project being monitored by Supreme Court for speedy implementation.

However, sources said it was also decided that the private player, who will build the project and collect toll, will have the freedom to reduce the user-fee. “But it cannot be more than one-and-a-half times the general toll charge. If it feels that because of the higher rate it is getting lesser number of vehicles in comparison to the competing road – Western Peripheral Expressway – it can start charging less,” said an official. Though this formula has been worked out after a lot of deliberation, sources in the NHAI said the proposed norm will hit the short distance commuters on this stretch.

“The developer might reduce the toll charge for those who travel from Kundli to Palwal since there is an alternate option, but it will not do so for those travelling between Palwal and Ghaziabad,” an official said. The expressway has been planned to connect Kundli (NH-1), Ghaziabad (NH-24) and Palwal (NH-2).

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/delhi/E-way-in-Centres-court-delay-likely/articleshow/9802777.cms

 

Flip-flop delays crucial expressway
Dipak Kumar DashDipak Kumar Dash, TNN | Aug 9, 2011, 11.12PM IST

NEW DELHI: The Eastern Peripheral Expressway, an ambitious project to decongest the city by diverting traffic through national highways, is still hanging fire.

The Supreme Court set up a panel to monitor progress, procedural clearances were given by central agencies, but the man at the helm – the minister for highways – is still sitting on the files. Shockingly, the project which was scheduled to be completed by November this year is still to be awarded to any firm. And while Union minister CP Joshi is “considering” the case before financial bid is issued for the 135-km highway project, killer trucks continue to run amok in the city.

The government’s seriousness can be gauged from the fact that the SC-appointed monitoring committee for the project has not met since January. The court had mandated holding of meetings once every two months.

The expressway was planned to connect Kundli (NH-1), Ghaziabad (NH-24) and Palwal (NH-2). It will take at least three-and-a-half years to complete the project after it’s awarded. This means, till 2014, Delhi has to live with the killer trucks and clogged roads.

The project, which is aimed at easing traffic flow, has been deferred or delayed by subsequent ministers for highways since October 2008. This was when the National Highways Authority of India floated the first tender. Though six infrastructure firms were qualified to bid (then costing Rs 2,335 crore), only one player submitted the financial bid in December 2008. This after the bidding deadline was extended five times. “NHAI wanted the project to be awarded as in other cases where only single bids were placed. But the then minister, Kamal Nath, scrapped the bidding process in July 2009. Then the process of restructuring the project under new toll rules began,” an NHAI official said.

The project cost was also hiked to Rs 2,699 crore. After C P Joshi took over as minister, NHAI moved the proposal to invite tenders. But the Planning Commission swung into action and favoured developing this stretch as a bypass. Official documents available with TOI show that the Plan Panel pushed the argument of charging a toll – one-and-a-half times more than on any national highway.

The panel had justified this in a letter to the Union ministry on April 13. But the ministry dismissed it on the ground the project was a normal highway, not a bypass. The ministry also stated that if toll rates are high, traffic will move out to the western peripheral expressway, the other half of the ring,

The Cabinet Committee on Infrastructure, which had considered the proposal on April 20 had approved the project and directed the Public Private Partnership Accounts Committee (PPPAC) to take a final decision on the toll rate.

The PPPAC finally gave a go-ahead to bid the project as a normal national highway in June this year. “Then we invited tenders and 24 bidders have been qualified. The document for financial bidding is ready. But until we get a go-ahead from the minister, the process can’t start,” said a National Highway Authority of India official.

Source: http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/delhi/Flip-flop-delays-crucia

 

 एक्सटेंशन की टेंशन से घिरा ईस्टर्न पेरिफेरल एक्सप्रेस वे
28 Jul 2011, 0400 hrs IST

नोएडा एक्सटेंशन की टेंशन से ईस्टर्न पेरिफेरल एक्सप्रेस वे भी नहीं बच सका है। भूमि अधिग्रहण नहीं हो सकने के कारण ईस्टर्न पेरिफेरल एक्सप्रेस वे यानि कुंडली – गाजियाबाद – पलवल ( केजीपी ) के निर्माण का ठेका अभी नहीं उठ सका है , जबकि एक्सप्रेस बनवाने वाली नैशनल हाइवे अथॉरिटी ऑफ इंडिया ( एनएचएआई ) को कुल 24 कंपनियों के आवेदन मिल चुके हैं। इन आवेदनों को तकनीकी तौर पर सही पाया गया है। इसके बाद फाइनेंशल बिड होगी। जिसके बाद किसी एक कंपनी को एक्सप्रेस बनाने का काम मिलेगा। पता चला है कि एक्सप्रेस वे पर अगले साल जनवरी तक ही काम शुरू हो सकेगा।

जमीनों के अधिग्रहण का मसला अब सभी जगह सिर उठाने लगा है। कई जगह जमीनों का अधिग्रहण न होने के कारण एनएचएआई के प्रस्तावित केजीपी प्रोजेक्ट पर भी आंच आ सकती है। एनसीआर में आने वाले सोनीपत के कुंडली से शुरू होकर यूपी के बागपत , गाजियाबाद , गौतमबुद्धनगर होते हुए पलवल तक पहुंचने वाले इस एक्सपे्रस वे पर नोएडा एक्सटेंशन की टेंशन सवार हो गई है। कुल 135 किलोमीटर लंबे इस एक्सप्रेस वे में से 47 किलोमीटर लंबाई पलवल और कुंडली में शामिल है। एनएचएआई सूत्रों का कहना है कि कुंडली से बागपत , गाजियाबाद , गौतमबुद्धनगर व पलवल में कई जगह किसानों ने अपनी जमीनों का पैसा नहीं लिया है। इसके चलते एनएचएआई इस प्रोजेक्ट पर फूंक – फूंक कर कदम रख रही है। केएमपी पहले ही धीमी गति से चल रहा है , इसलिए सरकार इस प्रोजेक्ट में कोई टेंशन नहीं लेना चाहती है। सूत्रों ने जमीन अधिग्रहण में देरी से इस प्रोजेक्ट के पूरे होने में चार साल और लगने का अनुमान व्यक्त किया है।

बड़ी कंपनियों में है टक्कर :

केजीपी बनाने के लिए एनएचएआई को कुल 24 टेंडर मिले हैं। इन टेंडरों को तकनीकी तौर पर सही पाया गया है। इसके बाद फाइनेंशल बिड होगी। इसमें केजीपी के बारे में विस्तृत जानकारी के साथ रेट , क्वॉलिटी दावा और कंपनी की वित्तीय स्थिति की परीक्षा होगी। एनएचएआई अधिकारी ने नाम न छापने की शर्त पर बताया कि इस बिड में कुंडली – मानेसर – पलवल ( केएमपी ) बनाने वाली कंपनी रिलायंस और एल एंड टी समेत कई नामचीन कंपनियां दौड़ में हैं। लेकिन जमीनों का अधिग्रहण पूरा न होने के कारण अभी इसमें पेंच फंसा है।

क्या है प्रोजेक्ट केजीपी :

एनएचएआई कुंडली से पलवल तक 135 किलोमीटर लंबे ईस्टर्न पेरिफेरल का निर्माण करेगी। इसका ठेका किसी प्राइवेट कंपनी को बिल्ट , ऑपरेट एंड ट्रांसफर ( बीओटी ) आधार पर दिया जाना है। एनएचएआई ने इस प्रोजेक्ट की प्रस्तावित लागत 2700 करोड़ रुपये रखी है। निर्माण करने वाली कंपनी अपने पैसे से एक्सप्रेस वे का निर्माण करेंगी। इस लागत को वह 20 साल तक टोल के रूप में कम्यूटर्स से वसूलेंगी और बाद में सरकार को सौंप देंगी।

http://navbharattimes.indiatimes.com/de … 386763.cms

Cost of Eastern Highway project goes up

Increases 13% To 2699 Crore Due To Delay, Plan Panel’s Change Of Stance

Dipak Kumar Dash TNN

New Delhi: Planning Commission can’t always get away by blaming other ministries for delaying projects. Its role in the delay of a 135-kilometre road project – the Eastern Peripheral Expressway (EPE) – that would substantially ease congestion on Delhi roads is itself under the scanner. In all, the cost has gone up by Rs 300 crore in three years to Rs 2,699 crore, which is 13% of the original cost.
    When the six-lane project was first conceived by the road, transport and highways ministry in 2006 the Planning Commission had ‘concurred’ with the proposal to declare the Eastern Expressway a National Highway.
Subsequently, in 2007 it also supported the proposal during a meeting of interministerial public-private partnership approval committee (PPPAC). With other clearances in the bag, National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) invited bids but a contract could not be awarded as despite five extensions, Anil Ambanicontrolled Reliance Infrastructure was the sole bidder.
Then, in July 2009, Kamal Nath, the then road and transport minister scrapped the project. Last year, when NHAI revived the project, Planning Commission proposed that EPE be treated as a bypass. As a result, the toll rate on the project would be 1.5 times higher than any other National Highway stretch in the country. This, it said, was in line with the new toll policy.
Official documents accessed by TOI show that the road transport and highways ministry has trashed the arguments raised by Planning Commission, saying the proposal would make the project unviable and the basic purpose of diverting traffic would not be met. The ministry and the NHAI are arguing that EPE acts as a link road, connecting Palwal on NH-2, passing through NH-91, NH-24 and NH-1 before touching Kundli. Therefore EPE is not a bypass; rather, it is a connecting highway, linking various national highways, they said.
Besides, along with the proposed Western Peripheral Expressway (WPE) being built by the Haryana government it will act as a ring road. DSC Ltd has bagged the contract to build WPE. In the absence of EPE, anyone looking to avoid passing through Delhi roads would opt for WPE, which is also a toll road. The Cabinet Committee on Infrastructure (CCI) did not find merit in plan panel’s argument.
JICA to lend 7.4k cr at low interest for infra projects
New Delhi: Within three months after Japan was hit by a devastating tsunami and a nuclear disaster, the country shows the way how to keep its commitments. On Thursday, Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) signed an agreement with India to provide Rs 7,361 crore as long-term loan at a low interest rate for 2010-11. Though the agency had planned to sign the agreement in end-March, it was delayed due to the natural calamity back home. “It took us time to recover, but we’re ready to carry on with our assistance. Out of the total target of Rs 12,000-crore soft loan, India has the maximum share,” said JICA’s chief representative Shinichi Yamanaka. TNN

 

http://epaper.timesofindia.com/Default/Scripting/ArticleWin.asp?From=Archive&Source=Page&Skin=TOINEW&BaseHref=CAP/2011/06/17&PageLabel=28&EntityId=Ar02800&ViewMode=HTML

 

Expressway delayed

Dipak Kumar Dash, TNN | May 16, 2011, 02.09am IST

NEW DELHI: The 135-km eastern peripheral expressway (EPE) has not taken off even after five years of its notification. This despite the Supreme Court monitoring the project. Now, the ongoing tussle between the Planning Commission and the highways ministry is only delaying it further.

As of now, the project has not been awarded to anyone due to procedural delays. Records and official communications of the highways ministry, Planning Commission and the Cabinet Secretariat available with TOI show the extent of delay to clear it.

The Planning Commission observed that since the expressway is being constructed as a “bypass to NCT Delhi”, it is all right to fix the toll rate at one-and-a-half times of the normal rate. The Commission justified it in its letter to the ministry of road transport and highways on April 13.

But the ministry has dismissed it, quoting how the road project was considered as a normal highway and not a ‘bypass’ by the PPP Appraisal Committee (PPPAC) in its November 2007 meeting. In his letter dated February 3, 2011 to the member secretary, Planning Commission, highway secretary R S Gujral said: “EPE acts as a link road, connecting Palwal on NH-2, passing through NH-91, NH-24 and NH-1 before touching Kundli. Therefore EPE is not a bypass; rather, it is a connecting highway linking various NHs.”

Gujral further mentioned that bypass toll rates, if applied, may render the EPE unattractive and lead to “diversion of overall traffic, especially through Western Peripheral Expressway, the other half of the ring expressways”.

But the Commission panel is not impressed. They want it to be treated as a bypass. “The PPPAC has already approved this project, subject to the condition that bidding would be based on premium quoted and provision of government grant would be deleted from the bidding document. This means government will not pay a single rupee. Despite this, vested interests are playing some tactic or the other to delay the project. The fear of not getting substantial return from the project would make it unviable,” said an NHAI official.

The delay has already impacted the national capital and its adjoining areas as the project, which is part of a ring expressway around this region, was conceived to decongest Delhi roads and to avoid the entry of trucks. Records with the traffic police reveal that heavy vehicles including trucks are responsible for almost 40% of road deaths in the capital.

Going by the present status, Delhi might have to wait for several years for the expressway to come up.

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/delhi/Expressway-delayed/articleshow/8352304.cms

 

1 May 2011

NHAI has finally opened its mind when a RTI was filed on the status of Eastern Peripheral Expressway. NHAI moves so slowly that even a tortoise can leave it far behind- when it comes to development of Eastern Peripehral Expressway. Let’s hope that NHAI can now keep its word that the work would start from Dec 2011 and would be completed in 3.5 years from start.

Below link has the RTI reply

EPE-NHAI 28 Apr 2011

 

7 Feb 2011

Finally there is some positive news on Eastern Peripheral Expressway that would form eastern side of semi-cicle expressway connecting Kundli (Sonepat), Ghaziabad, Greater Noida and Palwal (Faridabad). A total of 24 companies have submitted their bids this time. The bids will be evaluated in next one month

Eastern-Peripheral-eway-EPE-2-Dozen-co-bid

निविदा के लिए आई दो दर्जन निर्माण कंपनियां

फरीदाबाद, जागरण संवाद केंद्र : आखिरकार ईस्टर्न एक्सप्रेस-वे की निविदा प्रक्रिया सोमवार को शुरू हो गई। कई महीनों के इंतजार के बाद सोमवार को ईस्टर्न एक्सप्रेस वे के निर्माण के लिए करीब दो दर्जन निर्माण कंपनियां आगे आई।

अब भारतीय राष्ट्रीय राजमार्ग प्राधिकरण (एनएचएआई) तकनीकि पहलुओं को ध्यान में रखते हुए इन कंपनियों में से योग्य कंपनियों को छटाई करेंगे। इस प्रक्रिया में करीब एक महीने का समय लगेगा। सोमवार को आए आवेदनों में रिलायंस, एचसीसी, एलएनटी, जीएमआर, आईआरबी आदि जैसे बड़ी कंपनियां शामिल थी। इससे पहले एनएचएआई ने इस परियोजना की निविदा प्रक्रिया के लिए तिथि रखी, लेकिन हर बार तिथि को स्थगित कर दिया गया। सोनीपत से फरीदाबाद तक बनने वाले इस एक्सप्रेस वे के बजट और डिजाइन को पब्लिक प्राइवेट पार्टनरशिप अप्रेजल कमेटी से मंजूरी मिलने के बाद अधिकारियों को उम्मीद थी कि इस बार इस तिथि को स्थगित नहीं किया जाएगा। अधिकारियों का कहना है कि योग्य कंपनियों के चिन्हित होने के बाद उनसे वित्तीय पहलुओं को लेकर आवेदन मांगे जाएंगे। बाद में उन कंपनियों में से किसी एक कंपनी को एक्सप्रेस वे के निर्माण के लिए नियुक्त किया जाएगा।

http://in.jagran.yahoo.com/news/local/haryana/4_6_7290390.html

29 Jan 11,

Finally the Eastern Peripheral Expressway project is heading for some concrete progress as the design and the budget has now been passed. The bidder qualification application would be opened on 7 Feb 11 based on changes made for the RFQ.

Eastern-Peripheral-expressway-bid-issuance-7Feb11

Nod for Peripheral Expressways to keep away non-destined traffic
January 30, 2011   12:51:34 AM

Pioneer News Service | New Delhi

The Public Private Partnership Appraisal Committee (PPPAC), in its meeting held on Thursday, has approved six proposals of the Road Transport and Highways Ministry, including one of Eastern Peripheral Expressway in order to keep away non-destined traffic to Delhi.

The Government has envisaged the Peripheral Expressways project around Delhi, comprising Western Peripheral Expressway (WPE) and Eastern Peripheral Expressway (EPE) connecting NH-1 and NH-2 from western and eastern sides of Delhi, in order to decongest the capital.

The objective of the project is not to allow non-destined traffic inside Delhi which is presently compelled to travel through it in the absence of any such facility. This project is being monitored by the Supreme Court through a monitoring committee comprising Secretary, Department of Road Transport and Highways as chairman, and chief secretaries of UP, Haryana and Delhi. Chairpersons of NHAI and EPCA are its members.

According to Ministry sources, out of total 1,680 ha of land to be acquired, 1,360 ha (92 per cent) has already been acquired and acquisition of balance land is in progress. The Eastern Peripheral Expressway is being taken up by NHAI.

Starting from Kundli on NH-1, passing through Baghpat district, bypassing Ghaziabad, Gautam Budh Nagar and Faridabad, the expressway terminates at Palwal on NH-2 with a total length of 135 km. The cost has gone up from Rs 2,334 crore in 2007 to Rs 2,699 crore now.

Meanwhile, all the six proposals for eight projects are worth Rs 10963.39 crore with a total length of 907 km. The Ministry plans to award these projects on PPP basis before the end of the financial year after taking Cabinet’s approval.

The other five proposals are Jabalpur-Bhopal, Ahmedabad-Vadodara, Kota-Jhalawar, Biawar-Pali Pindwara and Nagpur-Venganga sections.

Source: http://www.dailypioneer.com/309132/Nod-for-Peripheral-Expressways-to-keep-away-non-destined-traffic.html
Update 28 Dec 10
Bid Submission Date Postponed
There has been yet another delay on Eastern Peripheral Expressway (EPE) that would connect Sonepat, Ghaziabad, GNoida to Palwal. The bid submission date has been postponed by one month i.e. from 27 Dec 10 to 27 Jan 11. The 135 km expressway expected to cost about 2500 crores has seen many delays and red-tapism.
For more details on this news, please follow below article

Source: http://navbharattimes.indiatimes.com/delhiarticleshow/7174031.cms

Govt considers congestion tax for Delhi roads

New Delhi, 20 Dec 10

With work on the Eastern and Western peripheral expressways about to be awarded after years of waiting, the Delhi government is considering introducing a congestion tax in the Capital. The tax will be levied on trucks and other heavy goods vehicles that would use a route through Delhi instead of taking the peripheral expressways and bypassing Delhi altogether.

 

 

 

 

Government officials say the work for the Eastern Peripheral Expressway (EPE) is likely to be awarded by March. “The congestion tax will be high at Rs 3,000 to Rs 4,000 ,”said a senior government official said, adding that this was one of the issues being looked at by the Delhi government Special Task Force (STF) on Transport to decongest the city.

The EPE or the Kundli-Ghaziabad-Palwal expressway is one of the two semicircular expressways that will form a third ring road around Delhi, along with the Western Peripheral Expressway (or KMP Expressway). The complete peripheral road will connect the following radial highways: NH-1, 2, 8, 10, 24, 58, 91, SH-57, Yamuna/Taj expressway, Ganga expressway and Hindon expressway among others. Last year, the Road Transport and Highways ministry ordered the cancellation of the bidding process for EPE as the project received only one bid from Reliance Infrastructure.

“We have found that only 40 per cent of the vehicles that come to Delhi are actually headed for the city — the rest use Delhi as a thoroughfare,”said an official.

To decongest the city further, the Special Task Force has also taken up parking-related projects across the city.

“We have taken up three pilot projects, which have been divided into three categories — residential, for which we have taken up GK-I; commercial, for which we have taken up Sarojini market and office complex, for which we have taken up the Munirka Capital Court complex. The idea is not to create new parking spaces as this is not feasible in these areas, but use the existing parking spaces and to set parking rates,” Chief Secretary Rakesh Mehta who heads the STF.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Source: http://www.indianexpress.com/news/govt-considers-congestion-tax-for-delhi-roads/727349/0
Hurdles cleared for new expressway
Kapil Datta, Hindustan Times
Greater Noida, December 04, 2010

Hurdles in the construction of the Eastern Peripheral Expressway have been cleared after protesting farmers reached a pact with the Gautam Budha Nagar district administration. The work, which had to be stopped owing to the farmers’ protest, is set to be resumed soon. Additional district magistrate

Harnam Singh said on Friday: “The farmers have accepted our compensation package. The land acquisition process has been completed in two villages on Friday.”

About 480 hectares of land was estimated to be acquired for the project. The National Highway Authority of India (NHAI) has so far deposited R233 crore towards land compensation which has been disbursed for acquisition of half of the land. “The NHAI has promised to send the balance amount of R248 crore soon. By end of December, the total land required for the project will be acquired,” said Singh.

The expressway has been planned to reduce the pressure of traffic in Delhi and NCR towns. The alignment takes off at Kundli in Haryana and will join NH-2 at Faridabad via Ghaziabad and Noida connecting NH-24. The stretch under Gautam Budha Nagar district mainly falls in Greater Noida areas. In Gautam Budha Nagar, the expressway will pass through 39 villages.

Source: http://www.hindustantimes.com/Hurdles-cleared-for-new-expressway/Article1-634126.aspx

Eastern-Peripheral-Expressway

On the lines of the KMP Expressway, another expressway of a similar length (135km), the Kundli-Ghaziabad-Palwal expressway KGP Expressway, is set to take off to the East of Delhi, and form the other half of the ring around the national capital. This, too, will also prove a catalyst in both residential and commercial development along the 135-km corridor, majorly in Uttar Pradesh. Though the project is yet to take off, sources in the road, transport and highways say that major developers have bought properties close to the alignment.
The expressway link, also called the Eastern Peripheral Expressway (EPE), will provide signal-free connectivity between Ghaziabad and Faridabad, and Noida and Palwal. The road network touches certain portions of Haryana, Delhi and Uttar Pradesh.
The project involves construction of a six-lane expressway with access control highway connecting Faridabad-Noida-Ghaziabad-Sonipat, which will also act as a bypass to Delhi, with a concession period of 20 years.
The project takes off from NH-1 in Kundli (Haryana), crosses Yamuna near Mawikalan, Hindon river near

Sharfabad, NH-58 near Duhai, NH-24 near Dasna, NH-91 near Beelakbarpur, Kasna-Sikandrabad road near Sirsa, re-crosses Yamuna near Fajjupur Khadar, Atali-Chinsa near Maujpur and meets NH-2 beyond Palwal. It will pass through five districts Sonipat, Faridabad in Haryana, and Baghpat, Ghaziabad and Gautam Budh Nagar in Uttar Pradesh.
National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) officials said the speed limit for this green field project would be 120 kmph, and hence will provide highspeed connectivity to existing and new residential sectors.
This road will have two sections 56km-long Faridabad-Noida-Ghaziabad expressway section and
49km-long Ghaziabad-Kundli expressway section. Improving connectivity among cities outside the capital will not just decongest Delhi roads, this will also push growth and development beyond the national capital. By the time the proposed expressway comes up and connects farflung NCR towns, it will bring areas across the region close, said an urban planner associated with NCR Planning Board (NCRPB).
He added that though presently, land around this greenfield expressway is either lying vacant or is largely agricultural, their land use would be changed too after the completion of the stretch. Since the proj
ect is yet to take off, the development has not yet started. Now, with the seriousness of Centre to award the project soon, both residential and commercial development will start, a major real estate developer said.
11 more expressways across NCR
The NCR Planning Board (NCRPB) has prepared a road map for bypassing traffic bottlenecks and provide fast connectivity between Delhi and existing NCR cities, which are rapidly growing. The plan proposes construction of 11 new expressways and two orbital railway corridors connecting major towns around the national capital.
The plan projects five urban clusters in NCR Gurgaon-Manesar, Faridabad-Ballabgarh, Meerut, Ghaziabad and Noida-Greater Noida-Kasna will become mega-cities by 2032. NCRs population is expected to reach 862 lakh by 2031 from 371 lakh in 2001. This would lead to intra-regional transportation trips shooting up by almost 400%. In a ripple effect, intra-city trips would also increase significantly causing major congestion on roads across the region.
The report has recommended construction of separate expressways connecting Delhi with Panipat, Rewari, Rohtak, Palwal, Meerut and Baghpat. It has also proposed a

Ghaziabad-Hapur link. Apart from these, work is already in progress on the Western Peripheral Expressway (Kundli-Manesar-Palwal), Yamuna Expressway (Greater Noida-Agra) and Ganga Expressway (Greater Noida-Balia).
The report has also recommended the laying of two orbital railway corridors outer and inner. The outer corridor will cover approximately 300km and connect Panipat, Rohtak, Rewari, Palwal, Khurja, Hapur as well as Meerut. The inner corridor will link Sonipat, Sampla, Jhajjar, Gurgaon, Faridabad and Dadri. Experts are of the view that if work on these expresslinks does not begin in the near future, there will be hardly any land available for such projects in the future.

 

 

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