New toll policy by Nov-end: Kamal Nath

New Delhi, Nov 8 : Road Transport and Highways Minister Kamal Nath today said the new toll policy will be unveiled by this month-end wherein no toll is expected to be levied on local traffic, but on commercial vehicles moving from city to city.

''The toll policy is being revised...by November-end, the new policy will be unveiled,'' Mr Nath told reporters here on the sidelines of India Economic Summit, organised by CII.

Earlier, speaking at the Economic Editors' conference, Mr Nath had said the tolerance levels of users towards paying high toll has to be seen. ''As much as is possible, the local traffic should be exempted. But, the problem that in certain areas, most of the local traffic is commercial traffic,'' he had said.

Talking about the mega road projects, he today said bids will be invited for six mega projects worth Rs 5,000 crore, adding the projects will be launched mainly in Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan.

The Minister expects that more than half of the total investment required in various road projects will come from private investors.

He said contentious clauses in concessional agreements that are keeping private investors away will be revised to make investment in road projects ''more attractive. We want investors to make money,'' adding adding that an empowered group of ministers will start resolving contentious issues speedily.

He said some clauses like the termination clause in previous agreements will be removed within two weeks.

On target of constructing 7,000 km roads annually, that is 20 km of roads a day, Mr Nath said, ''We are not doing 20 km a day as yet, but as of March (2010), we will be doing it,'' attributing the delay to the monsoon and changes which need to be incorporated in road projects' contracts in the public-private partnership mode.

--UNI

(c) 2009 Published with permission from United News of India.
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