NHAI to award projects worth Rs 1 lakh crore

After a lull, the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) is in the process of awarding 100 projects in the fourth quarter of this financial year.

The projects are in various phases of award and will be given out before March.

"Around 14,000 km of road projects, worth around Rs 1 lakh crore, are in various stages of award process and will be awarded in the last quarter of this financial year. This will help us

clear a lot of backlog," said a senior NHAI official, who did not want to be identified.

Award of road projects had been dismal under former minister T R Baalu, which prompted the government to bring in Kamal Nath at the helm.

After joining, Nath set a target to build roads at 20 km a day, increasing it from the earlier pace of around 3 km a day.

He also came up with work plans for two financial years, setting a target of awarding over 200 projects with a value of over Rs 2 lakh crore in the two financial years ending March 2011.