Indian government has issued a policy to construct shopping malls, primary healthcare centres and food courts on the National Highways in the country. They will be built under public-private partnership (PPP) and engineering, construction and procurement (EPC) models.
There is a proposition to set up over 15,000 such services on the highways but there is also a scarcity of land. To solve this problem, the government has decided to offer incentives to the petrol pump owners, if they incorporate these facilities in their premises. Incentives will also be given to private land owners, if they agree to lease out their lands. NHAI is trying to utilise free lands which are not owned and does not interest private sectors.
“Additional incentives would be provided to petrol pump owners if they set up shower area and multi utility shops on their land,” said a senior official at the road transport and highways ministry in a report of Economic Times.
Government is also planning to set up a highway advisory service in form of a radio channel to guide the travellers about the traffic movements.
