The National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) is in a fix as a government order (GO) waiving Goods and Services Tax (GST) and royalty for constructing the 44-km Kundannoor-Angamaly NH 544 Bypass (Kochi Bypass) is yet to be issued, despite the government granting in-principle clearance for the waiver in January, informed sources said.
The greenfield NH project holds the key to decongesting both the Aroor-Edappally bypass and the Edappally-Angamaly NH 544 corridor — two of the most congested NH stretches in the State. A GO on the waiver is crucial to issuing the 3(A) notification to kick-start the process to acquire 287 hectares for the semi-access controlled NH corridor.
“The uncertainty over the waiver is taking a heavy toll, considering that the detailed project report [DPR] consultant of the NH project has been idling for the past several months. This in turn has led to the National Highways Authority of India [NHAI] incurring undue ‘establishment expenses’, while fear is rife that the total project cost would exceed the estimated ₹6,000 crore owing to the rise in land value and prices of raw materials. The worst part is that the stalemate continues even after the Chief Minister directed the Finance and other departments in January to take steps to complete the widening of NH 66 in a time-bound manner,” sources said.
