The move is aimed at achieving the nine per cent growth target for the next Five Year Plan
Prime Minister
Manmohan Singh said good road infrastructure was crucial to achieving nine per
cent growth, targeted for the next Five Year Plan (2012-13 to 2016-17), and
adequate investment would be made towards that.
At the same time, he insisted that the
awards on private sector were placed in a fair and transparent manner so as to
dispel any fear or charges that the government was resorting to any form of
favouritism or arbitrary decisions, reports IANS.
"Infrastructure will play a key role
in achieving our growth target of nine per cent. Our effort is to double the
investment of $500 billion in the 11th Five Year plan to around $1 trillion in
the 12th plan," the Prime Minister said.
"It is also necessary to ensure
projects are awarded in a fair and transparent manner to avoid suspicion of
favouritism," he told a conference on 'challenges and opportunities in
public-private partnership in national highways'.
According to Road Transport and Highways
Minister CP Joshi, the government will award contracts under public-private
partnership to lay around 7,800 km of national highways worth an estimated Rs
50,000 crore by the end of this year.
"Contracts worth Rs 21,000 crore have
already been awarded in the first four months," he said, hoping that the
target of 20 km of national highways every day would be met.
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