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• Jalandhar It has already missed the deadline twice to complete the phase two of the six-lane National Highway-1 from Panipat to Jalandhar. Now the National Highway Authority of India (NHAI) has set a new deadline - June 15, 2012 - to finish the remaining work. Till then, the ride on the 291-km stretch may remain bumpy.Earlier the NHAI had planned to complete the second phase of the six-lane project in November 2011. With majority of work remaining, it had set February 2012 as the target to complete the work. However, with a lot of work still remaining to be done, NHAI has fixed June 15 as new deadline. Once completed, commuters can hope for a hassle-free and smooth journey as the stretch will be totally signal-free.
• The six-lane project for this congested stretch was approved in May 2008. However, more than three years and nine months on, the project is far from completion.The NHAI had planned to complete the project in three phases. While 25 per cent of the work was to be completed in the first year by May 2010, 65 per cent should have been completed by May 2011. The entire project was to be completed by November 2011.At present, the NHAI aims to complete the second phase by the new deadline.
• Sources at the Ambala-based office of NHAI said that major reason behind the delay was financial crunch.The initial budget for the mega project was fixed at Rs 2,747-crore, but the delay has led to the budget shooting through the roof.The project director, Rajesh Kumar Kondal, could not be contacted despite repeated attempts while a senior NHAI official, Avtar, confirmed the new deadline.

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