The National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) has given green signal to over 30 highway projects that have been pending for 4-5 months over the conflict of interest clause.

The highways authority has decided that the new guidelines on cross-shareholdings proposed by the BK Chaturvedi committee will be allowed only for future bids and will not have any impact on the recently awarded bids.

The committee had recommended that the cross-shareholding in the highway projects under the conflict of interest clause (CoI) should be increased to 25 per cent from 5 per cent at present to help road developers who can bid for more projects. The cabinet committee on infrastructure (CCI) has given in-principle approval to this proposal.

However, there was still some confusion among the private companies as to whether the new norm would also include projects that were recently awarded.

“NHAI board has decided that only new projects will be allowed for 25 per cent shareholding. The bidding for over 30 projects for which the bidding dates have been extended by 5-6 months will soon start,” a senior NHAI official said.

NHAI has also made some modifications in one of the provisions of CoI clause that defines associates. “A circular in this regard has been sent to all the board member. Though most of the members have agreed to these modifications, we are just waiting for the responses from one member,” the NHAI official said.

Some of the projects that will be awarded shortly include four laning of Rohtak-Panipat (NH-71) and Rohtak-Bawal (NH-71 ) on design, build, finance, operate and transfer (DBFOT) basis, four/six laning of Gandhidham (Kandla)–Mundra port (NH-8A), four laning of Bahrampore-Farakka (NH-34).