In a first, a technocrat may steer highways regulator

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh is likely to vet the Union road transport ministry’s proposal to open the post of chairman of the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) to technocrats in a review meeting today.

Since its inception in 1995, the authority has been steered by bureaucrats. That too, only secretary-level officials were considered eligible for the post.

The meeting will be attended by surface transport minister C P Joshi and transport secretary RS Gujaral.

Joshi had mooted the idea of broadening the eligibility for the top NHAI job with a view that road construction is a technical job and had approached the search committee under the cabinet secretariat with the proposal for a change in the criteria.

“The proposal to induct technocrats for the post of NHAI chairman is likely to find favour with the PMO,” a source close to the development said.

The idea draws on the success of Delhi Metro Rail, whose chief E Sreedharan is a technocrat.

Going forward, the eligibility criteria for appointment of chairman will have to be amended for induction of technocrats for the post.

Experts, however, feel it is more important that the incumbent have an understanding of the issues with the private sector.

“We need to understand that background does not make much of a difference. He needs to know the private sector issues and have management capabilities,” said Rajesh Samson, partner, (Infrastructure), Ernst&Young.

“Most important thing is that whoever comes needs to be there for a longer duration. There has to be stability,” said Samson.

Interestingly, the NHAI has been running without a full-time chairman for five months now. After former chairman Brijeshwar Singh retired in December, transport secretary RS Gujaral had to double up as the NHAI chairman till March.

But with no decision in sight, his tenure for additional charge has been extended till this month-end. Even Singh, who was scheduled to retire in August 2010, had been given extension till December 2010.

The surface transport ministry is also likely to pitch for a larger share of the proposed infrastructure debt fund worth Rs 50,000 crore during the review meeting today. According to the finance ministry, the guidelines of the proposed fund will be ready by the end of this month.

As for the project-award programme for this fiscal, the government plans to award projects spanning 7,300 km. In 2010-11, projects spanning 4,425 km and requiring an investment of Rs 40,000 crore were awarded, up nearly a third over the 3,360 km awarded in financial year 2009-10, worth Rs 33,300 crore.

Among the other initiatives the government plans to take up is e-tendering, aimed at cutting short the time spent in bidding.