Gandhinagar: The National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) and Sardar Sarovar Narmada Nigam Limited (SSNNL) have signed an MoU to simplify and speed up approvals for National Highway, canal and pipeline crossings in Gujarat.
The agreement establishes a time-bound framework for coordination between the two agencies, with the aim of reducing procedural delays and facilitating smoother execution of highway and irrigation infrastructure projects.
The MoU was signed in Gandhinagar by the Regional Officer-Gandhinagar, NHAI, and the Chief Engineer (QC, Tech. & CPC), SSNNL, in the presence of senior SSNNL officials and other representatives.
What the MoU Changes
A key provision of the agreement is the mutual waiver of various fees, charges and other levies applicable to crossings covered under the framework.
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According to the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways, the arrangement is expected to:
- Reduce project costs by removing certain charges between the agencies.
- Cut procedural bottlenecks affecting highway and irrigation works.
- Enable earlier sharing of project information.
- Promote standardised engineering practices for crossing structures.
- Clearly define responsibilities for construction and maintenance.
Faster Coordination for Infrastructure Projects
The agreement provides a common framework for NHAI and SSNNL to coordinate during the planning and execution of projects involving crossings of highways, canals and pipelines.
The agencies will also share project information at an early stage and follow defined engineering and maintenance procedures. This is intended to improve project planning, quality control and operational efficiency.
The MoU is part of efforts to promote integrated infrastructure planning in Gujarat and facilitate the simultaneous development of road and irrigation networks.
For NHAI, the framework is also aimed at improving implementation timelines while reducing the financial and procedural burden associated with infrastructure projects.
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