IJM SHORTLISTED FOR MEGA HIGHWAY LINKING RAJASTHAN, GUJARAT

NEW DELHI, June 24 (Bernama) -- Malaysia's construction giant IJM Corp Bhd
is one of the 11 companies shortlisted for a mega inter-state highway project
estimated to cost about RM4 billion (Us$3.3 billion), according to local media
reports.

The 555km highway stretches from Kishangarh, near Jaipur, in Rajasthan to
Ahmedabad, in Gujarat, via Udaipur (also in Rajasthan).

The public-private partnership project, involving six lanes, is tipped to be
one of India's landmark highway project.

An official from the National Highways Authority of India told Indian media
that "eleven consortia have been short-listed" and the project would be
implemented on a build-operate-transfer modality.

The successful bidder is expected to design, finance, construct, operate and
maintain the highway.

India, Asia's third largest economy, plans to construct 35,000km of highways
under the National Highway Development Programme over the next five years.

Estimated investments needed for the mammoth road project is nearly US$60
billion..

India plans to spend about US$1 trillion on the development of major
infrastructures in the next Five Year Plan, beginning in 2012.

It is busy shaping its vast infrastructure gaps, much needed to fuel its
trillion-dollar economy, currently propelling at about 8.5 per cent.
-- BERNAMA