Around five firms have evinced interest in two national highway projects under the traditional build operate transfer (toll) model. The highway sector seems to witness investor interest in pure public-private partnership (PPP) projects, the share of which in new awards has declined significantly for nearly a decade and drawn a blank in the last two financial years. At least five firms — IRB Infrastructure Developers, Ashoka Buildcon, Adani Road Transport, Oriental Structural Engineers and PNC Infratech — have evinced interest in two national highway stretches totalling 132 km. The National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) had invited request for proposals (RfPs) for six-laning of the two stretches in West Bengal – Panagarh to Palsit (67.75 km) and Palsit to Dankuni (63.83 km) on the NH-19 — in February 2020.
Three extensions have already been given for submission of final bids, with the latest deadline being 9 July 2020. Bids will be opened on 10 July 2020. The two projects for which bids have been invited are part of Bharatmala Pariyojana under which NHAI is mandated to build 34,800 km national highway stretches. While the Ministry of Road, Transport and Highways is in favour of awarding more and more projects through the engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) mode, in which government pays the entire money, NHAI feels it is worth trying the BOT (toll) mode since awarding all projects through the EPC mode will further stretch its financials.