In a flurry of activity reminiscent of the pre-election fervour, various departments within the Central government have gone into overdrive, hastily approving projects and policies ahead of the anticipated Lok Sabha election announcement.
The Election Commission's declaration of a press conference slated for Saturday at 3 pm to unveil the election dates has sparked a race against time for government bodies, as per the established constitutional norms in India.
With the enforcement of the Model Code of Conduct (MCC) revealing election dates, the window for major policy decisions has narrowed significantly, necessitating prior consent from the election authorities for certain actions.
Sensing the impending restrictions, the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) and affiliated branches of the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways of India (MoRTH) burned the midnight oil on Friday to expedite the issuance of letters of award for crucial projects, ensuring the seamless initiation of highway development endeavours.
Union Minister Nitin Gadkari seized the moment, announcing a sanction of ₹1,700 crore for three pivotal highway projects spanning Gujarat, Assam, and Karnataka.
Furthermore, an additional ₹189 crore was earmarked for the construction of a ropeway connecting Ujjain railway junction to the revered Mahakaleshwar temple in Madhya Pradesh.
In a synchronised effort, Cabinet Minister for Ports, Shipping, and Waterways, Sarbananda Sonowal, facilitated a ₹645 crore allocation for 10 ambitious waterway projects along the Brahmaputra in Assam, strategically advancing these initiatives prior to the electoral disclosure.
These projects, operating under the aegis of the Sagarmala program, are set to receive full funding from the Centre.
The Housing and Urban Affairs sector also witnessed significant activity, with Secretary Anurag Jain greenlighting projects valued at ₹925 crore under the Swachh Bharat Mission, specifically focusing on solid and liquid waste management initiatives alongside capacity-building endeavours.
Amidst this whirlwind of governmental action, the Centre made headlines with a notable increase in the windfall tax on domestic crude oil, raising it by ₹7300 per tonne to a new rate of ₹4,900 per tonne, effective immediately from Saturday.
This move follows a prior hike on March 1, when the government elevated the windfall tax on petroleum crude to ₹4,600 a tonne from ₹3,300.
Moreover, Prime Minister Narendra Modi embarked on a spree of infrastructure inaugurations exceeding ₹7 lakh crore over the past two weeks alone.
In a recent address, he stressed that the current infrastructure endeavours merely scratch the surface of his envisioned trajectory, reaffirming his commitment to a continued legacy of progress.
Modi inaugurated the much-awaited Dwarka Expressway in Haryana, accompanied by key dignitaries.
Additionally, he laid the foundation stones for 100 national highway projects across 13 states, collectively valued at over ₹1 lakh crore.
“This 10 years’ work is just a trailer. I have a long way to go,” Modi said on March 12 while flagging off 10 new Vande Bharat trains and inaugurating a slew of other projects worth Rs 1.06 lakh crore in Gujarat.
However, amidst the flurry of announcements and approvals, some significant infrastructure projects faced delays.
The much-anticipated Delhi-Mumbai expressway, spanning 1350 km and under the aegis of NHAI, missed the roster of projects slated for inauguration or launch ahead of the MCC implementation.
Similarly, the commencement of construction for the Mumbai-Ahmedabad bullet train project, initially slated for April 2020 with an expected completion by December 2023, faces uncertainty due to land acquisition delays in Maharashtra.
The government also extended the deadline for the completion of Phase-I of the Bharatmala Pariyojana, the flagship highway development project. Initially scheduled for completion by December 2023, the new deadline has been set for 2027-28.
This extension comes in light of the progress made in the project by December 2023, with contracts awarded for the construction of 26,418 kilometres, representing 76% of the total planned 34,800 kilometres. Approximately 15,549 kilometres of highways had been completed by the same time.
The much awaited Mumbai's Aqua Line 3, spanning 33.5 kilometres, a fully underground segment of Mumbai's Metro Network was expecting an inauguration by May 2024, however, the implementation of the MCC makes the project revelation uncertain, at least for the time being.
Infrastructure development has emerged as a cornerstone of the Modi administration's governance agenda, attracting recognition from experts and rating agencies alike for its ambitious scope and substantial investments.
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