<center><b>National Council on Underground Construction and Tunnelling</b></center>
  <p style='text-align:justify;'><b>Council Chairman :</b>   Ashutosh Chandwar, Chief operating Officer, DRAIPL</p>
  <p style='text-align:justify;'><b>Council Co-Chairman :</b>   Vinod Shukla, MD, FGS Engineers and Innovators</p>
  <p style='text-align:justify;'><b>Special Task Force on Digitalization</b></p>
  <p style='text-align:justify;'><b>Chairman :</b>   Sudip Mazumder, Chief Digital & Information Officer, PGP Glass</p>
  <p style='text-align:justify;'><b>Council Brief :</b></p>
  <p style='text-align:justify;'>India is one of the fastest growing markets for Tunnel construction. The council played pivotal role in
  policy making and shaping Government's thought process towards creating these national assets.</p>
  <p style='text-align:justify;'>ASSOCHAM provided conducive platform for stakeholder interactions. Facilitated interactions
  between MoRTH, NHA, NHIDCL, key industry stakeholders including developers, consultants,
  contractors and technology and solution providers.</p>
  <p style='text-align:justify;'>The Council has been instrumental in bringing changes that will ensure rapid and seamless
  development of the National tunnels economically and in time bound manner through enforcement
  of EPC Contracts especially for Underground Construction and Tunneling.</p>
  <p style='text-align:justify;'>The council comprises up of a group of eminent industry leaders who have vast experience and
  domain knowledge.</p>
  <p style='text-align:justify;'><b>Achievements of the Council</b></p>
  <p style='text-align:justify;'><b>ASSOCHAM's recommendations for Enforcement of EPC Contracts for Underground Construction and
  Tunneling, have been accepted by Hon\'ble Union Minister. Accordingly MoRTH has :</b></p>
  <p style='text-align:justify;'> 1. Established a separate tunnel zone within the Ministry</p>
  <p style='text-align:justify;'>2. Set up a Panel of Technical experts including exclusively ASSOCHAM nominated industry experts
  along with other Academicians and Government organisations. The EXPERT Committee will:</p>
  <p style='text-align:justify;'>i) Formulate guidelines for design and construction of tunnels,</p>
  <p style='text-align:justify;'>ii) Draft SoPs for Geological and Geotechnical investigations, construction, operation and
  maintenance of tunnels,</p>
  <p style='text-align:justify;'>iii) Develop Contract Document (PMC, O&M and Civil Works)
  These Guidelines, SoPs and Contract Document will be exclusively for tunneling and
  underground projects (would be different from regular on-surface road and Highway contracts) </p>
  <p style='text-align:justify;'>3. Setting up Digitalisation Center under the Tunnel Zone in the Ministry.</p>
  <p style='text-align:justify;'><b>Shri Nitin Gadkari Hon\'ble Union Minister for Road, Transport and Highways, Govt of India
  acknowledged contribution towards Rs. 5000 Crores savings in the Zojila Tunnel Project at
  various forums.</b></p>
  <p style='text-align:justify;'> Shri Gadkari congratulated ASSOCHAM for series of discussions and submission of its recommendations
  that led to the modification of MORTH EPC contract document for Tunnel construction in India. He
  credited ASSOCHAM for its contribution that helped the Nation save Rs. 5000 crores. Zojila Tunnel
  construction is underway, after previously four failed tenders, was bid out and awarded @ INR 6,000 cr.
  instead of the initial proposal of INR 11,000 cr.</p>
  <p style='text-align:justify;'><b>&#9679; Events Held :</b></p>
  <p style='text-align:justify;'>✓ Round Table Discussion with Shri Nitin Gadkari Hon\'ble Union Minister For Road, Transport And
    Highways &apos;Enforcement Of EPC Contracts for Underground Construction And Tunneling' -
    February 12, 2020.</p>
    <p style='text-align:justify;'>✓ Meetings with Shri. I.K Pandey, DG (RD) & SS, MoRTH and other officials from MoRTH - April 16,
    2020</p>
    <p style='text-align:justify;'>✓ Technologies and Policy for Digitalisation of Infrastructure - Interaction with Shri Nitin Gadkari,
    Hon\'ble Union Minister for Roads, Transport and Highways - October 31, 2020</p>
    <p style='text-align:justify;'><b>&#9679; Sector Policy Notes</b></p>
    <p style='text-align:justify;'>✓ Enforcement Of EPC Contracts for Underground Construction and Tunneling</p>
    <p style='text-align:justify;'>✓ Technologies and Policy for Digitalisation of Infrastructure</p>
    <p style='text-align:justify;'><b>&#9679; Event Write up :</b></p>
    <p style='text-align:justify;'><b>&#9679; Round Table Discussion &apos;Enforcement of Contracts for Underground Construction and Tunneling'
    With Shri Nitin Jairam Gadkari, Hon\'ble Union Minister for Road, Transport and Highways On
    February 12, 2020.</b></p>
    <p style='text-align:justify;'> India has shown substantial improvement in its Ease of Doing Business (scaled up to 63rd
    
    position) However, in enforcement of the contract which is an element of these ranking there
    has been hardly any significant improvement - India moved to a ranking of 163 in 2019 from
    172 in 2017. The element of balancing the risk between the Employer and the Contractor has 
    to be worked well in Indian Contracts. The subject matter becomes worse when it comes to
    underground works as contracts enforced for over-ground projects are applied for all
    underground works as well. In international contracts like FIDIC and NEC these risks are based
    on the idea of fairness. A balanced risk allocation to the Contractor and to the Employer is
    utmost important.</p>
    <p style='text-align:justify;'>ASSOCHAM had conducted numerous stakeholder consultations. Based on deliberations, a <b>strategy
    paper </b> had been compiled which highlights Tunneling industry's concerns and recommendations.<b> It
    suggests amendments in Principles of Enforcement of Contracts and certain Clauses of the MORTH
    standard contract document.</b> This had been projected at the Round Table Discussion in presence of
    Hon\'ble Minister, followed by interactive session with Hon\'ble Minister and Government and PSU
    officials.</p>
    <p style='text-align:justify;'><b>&#9679; Technologies & Policy for Digitalisation of Infrastructure Focus on Tunneling
    Chief Guest - Shri Nitin Gadkari, Hon\'ble Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways, Govt. of
    India, October 31, 2020,</b></p>
    <p style='text-align:justify;'>ASSOCHAM with its clear vision of Nation Building has always ventured into issues that need
    Government's immediate attention. Early this year, we had successfully conducted an exhaustive
    Round Table session dedicated to EPC Contract and Tunnel Engineering in India, under the
    patronage of the Hon\'ble Union Minister of Road Transport and Highways - Shri Nitin Gadkari.
    He had emphasised on the need for advanced technology that could expedite construction works
    at reduced costs and monitor structural health. <b>Hon\'ble Minister Shri Nitin Gadkari has been
    kind to accept our recommendations as also acknowledge ASSOCHAM's contribution during
    his address at the initiation of first blast of Zojila Tunnel.</b></p>
    <p style='text-align:justify;'>To take step forward, in line with Hon\'ble Minister advice, ASSOCHAM had organised captioned webinar
    to highlight technologies and policy for digitalisation of infrastructure - Role of BIM in design and
    monitoring, AI/ ML in construction, Structural health monitoring, safety through advanced structural
    systems and engineering material, Digital Twins etc. The infrastructure fraternity in India will get a firsthand information on the digital Infrastructure, being created all over the Country as part of the CyberPhysical virtual platforms.<b> Hon\'ble Minister Shri Nitin Gadkari had Chaired this Session.</b></p>