No diff with Planning Comm on MCA: Baalu

New Delhi, Dec 14: The government today denied that it was having differences with the Planning Commission on the Model Concessionaire Agreement (MCA) for awarding National Highways projects under various phases of the National Highways Development Project (NHDP).

''How can there be differences between the Planning Commission, headed by the Prime Minister, and my ministry on this issue?'' Road Transport and Highways Minister T R Baalu quipped in the Rajya Sabha, while replying to a query from BJP member Najma Heptulla.

Mr Baalu said there were some difFerences on a few issues, but it was confined to the department. ''If major issues crop up, I will sort them out with the Prime Minister.'' Replying to a supplementary, the minister said 96 per cent of the Golden Quadrilateral (GQ), connecting four metros with a chain of modern highways, would be completed this month while the remaining four per cent would be finished ''in due course of time''.

Mr Baalu also took pride in the faster pace of National Highways development works being undertaken by the UPA government as compared to the previous NDA regime.

''We have completed works on 3133 km during two and a half years while the NDA government could finish projects involving 2330 km during five years,'' he pointed out.

With regard to Bihar, the minister said the total length of National Highways in the state is 3642 km out of which 20 km is being developed to four-lane divided carriageway as part of the GQ project while another 513 km is being four-laned as part of East-West Corridor.

Further upgradation to six-lane of 206 km on the GQ in Bihar is proposed under the NHDP Phase-V.

He said the Bihar government had submitted an estimate amounting to Rs 2863.53 crore for improvement of newly notified 16 National Highways.

''Keeping in view the request of the state government, the sanction limit for 2006-07 has been increased from Rs 26.2 crore to Rs 166.2 crore,'' he said.

The minister also drew attention to the utter flouting of rules and procedures in Bihar over the years while declaring roads as National Highways.

''Roads submerged under flood waters or close to railway lines or even paddy fields have been declared as National Highways in Bihar,'' he said, adding that this was a major challenge for his ministry to deal with.

UNI