GS 3: Economy | Infrastructure: Energy, Ports, Roads, Airports, Railways etc.

Why in news?

• The 1360 km long highway project is an initiative pertaining to India, Myanmar and Thailand.
• India is undertaking construction of two sections of the Trilateral Highway in Myanmar namely, Construction of 120.74 km Kalewa-Yagyi road section, and Construction of 69 bridges along with the approach road on the 149.70 km Tamu-Kyigone-Kalewa (TKK) road section.
• The works on both these sections were awarded on Engineering, Procurement and Construction (EPC) mode in May 2018.
• The scheduled time for completion of both the projects is three years from the date of commencement at the project site by the executing agency.
• The above mentioned both the projects are being funded by Government of India under grant assistance to the Government of Myanmar.
• A Motor Vehicles Agreement along with protocols for regulating and facilitating movement of cargo and passenger vehicular traffic is under inter-governmental negotiations between India, Myanmar and Thailand.

Utility of the Project:

• The road is expected to boost trade and commerce in the ASEAN–India Free Trade Area, as well as with the rest of Southeast Asia.
• India has also proposed extending the highway to Cambodia, Laos and Vietnam.

EPC Model:

• Under this system the entire project is funded by the government.
• The EPC entails the contractor build the project by designing, installing and procuring necessary labour and land to construct the infrastructure, either directly or by subcontracting.
• Under EPC model the contractor is legally responsible to complete the project under some fixed predetermined timeline and may also involve scope for penalty in case of time overrun.
• In EPC as all the clearances, land acquisition and regulatory norms have to be completed by the government itself and the private players do not have to get itself involved in these time taking procedures.