India : Advanced Project Preparedness for Poverty Reduction - Detailed Design for the SASEC Subregional Road Connectivity Project (Subproject 25)

Project Name

Advanced Project Preparedness for Poverty Reduction - Detailed Design for the SASEC Subregional Road Connectivity Project (Subproject 25)

Project Number

43166-207

Country / Economy

• India

Project Status

Closed

Project Type / Modality of Assistance

• Technical Assistance

Source of Funding / Amount

TA 8116-IND: Advanced Project Preparedness for Poverty Reduction - Detailed Design for the SASEC Subregional Road Connectivity Project (Subproject 25)

Source	Amount
Technical Assistance Grant Fund (UKG)	US$ 1.00 million

TA 8116-IND: Advanced Project Preparedness for Poverty Reduction - Detailed Design for the SASEC Subregional Road Connectivity Project (Subproject 25) (Supplementary)

Source	Amount
Technical Assistance Grant Fund (UKG)	US$ 370,000.00

TA 8116-IND: Advanced Project Preparedness for Poverty Reduction - Detailed Design for the SASEC Subregional Road Connectivity Project (Subproject 25) (2nd Supplementary)

Source	Amount
Technical Assistance Grant Fund (UKG)	US$ 430,000.00

TA 8116-IND: Advanced Project Preparedness for Poverty Reduction - Detailed Design for the SASEC Subregional Road Connectivity Project (Subproject 25) (Supplementary)

Source	Amount
Technical Assistance Grant Fund (UKG)	US$ 200,000.00

Strategic Agendas

• Inclusive economic growth
• Regional integration

Drivers of Change

• Partnerships

Sector / Subsector

• Transport / Road transport (non-urban)

Gender

No gender elements

Description

The C-TA subproject will assist GoWB and GoI in preparing the detailed design for the SASEC Subregional Road Connectivity Project to improve highest priority road corridors, including land customs stations for possible financing by ADB.

The main outcome of the TA will be the agreed detailed design of the investment project with enhanced project readiness. The project readiness will ensure that project preparation is ready for implementation with detailed design, detailed project reports, safeguards planning documents, and bidding documents prepared for the project roads and the land customs stations (LCS).

Methodology and Key Activities

The TA comprises 2 components: (i) Road Component and (ii) LCS Component. Both involve two major studies as follows:

(i)Prepare Detailed Engineering Design. The TA will carry out the detailed engineering design of the project including detailed LCS layout and design, detailed highway design, design of pavement and overlay with options for flexible or rigid pavements, design of bridges and cross drainage structures and grade separated structures, design of service roads, quantities of various items, detailed working drawings, detailed cost estimates, economic and financial viability analyses, environmental and social feasibility, social and environmental action plans as appropriate and documents required for tendering the project on commercial basis for international competitive bidding. This will entail, among other activities, detailed topographic surveys, pavement investigations, sub-grade characteristics and strength: investigation of required sub-grade and subsoil characteristics and strength for road and embankment design and sub soil investigation. hydraulic investigation for bridge design

(ii)Finalization of Safeguard Documents. The TA will update and finalize environmental Impact Assessment Report including Environmental Management Plan (EMP), Resettlement Plan & Resettlement Action Plan (RAP) and indigenous peoples' safeguard documents (if required). ADB and the Government of West Bengal have prepared draft documents for these. Appropriate social and environmental surveys will be carried out to update and finalize these documents.

Project Rationale and Linkage to Country/Regional Strategy

On 31 August 2009, ADB approved the provision of a Technical Assistance Cluster (C-TA) for the Advanced Project Preparedness for Poverty Reduction in an aggregate amount not exceeding $14 million equivalent to the Government of India. This was augmented by $8.0 million on 4 October 2011 through a major change in scope. This is financed by the Government of the United Kingdom, on a grant basis, through the Department of International Development (DFID), and administered by ADB. The second phase of the TA Cluster was initiated after an amendment to the DFID-ADB memorandum of understanding was signed, and the implementation period of the TA Cluster was extended to 31 December 2014.

Inclusion of the proposed TA Cluster subproject was endorsed at the Joint Advisory Committee of the TA Cluster held on 20 January 2012. Based on this endorsement, the ADB Mission discussed with the Government of India (GoI) and the Government of West Bengal (GoWB) in March and April 2012 and reached an understanding on its impact, outcome, scope, implementation arrangements, and terms of reference.

The C-TA subproject will assist GoWB and GoI in preparing the detailed design for the SASEC Subregional Road Connectivity Project to improve highest priority road corridors, including land customs stations for possible financing by ADB.

Impact

Project Outcome

Description of Outcome

Progress Toward Outcome

Implementation Progress

Description of Project Outputs

Status of Implementation Progress (Outputs, Activities, and Issues)

Geographical Location

Summary of Environmental and Social Aspects

Environmental Aspects

Involuntary Resettlement

Indigenous Peoples

Stakeholder Communication, Participation, and Consultation

During Project Design

Workshops, community mobilization, consultations, and involvement of NGOs and community-based organizations.

Community meetings and focus group discussions is being organized as part of the poverty and social analysis during the feasibility study. The local consultative meetings involve all relevant stakeholders including representatives of the poor and other socially excluded groups (e.g., women and scheduled tribes, among other groups) to disseminate the information as well as to get the feedback about the project design and its potential impacts. Other key stakeholders such as the relevant line departments, local government representatives and NGOs will also be consulted. Consultations will also be undertaken with the affected households and communities during the course of the census survey and socioeconomic survey along the project roads for the preparation of the safeguard plans.

During Project Implementation

Business Opportunities

Consulting Services

The TA initially is to be implemented over 10 months, beginning in January 2013 and ending in November 2013, and has since been extended to 31 December 2015. The TA is being carried out by a firm of consultants consisting of experts in highway engineering, logistics planning and engineering, works contracts, pavement and materials, traffic, drainage, geotechnical, survey, architecture, economics and finance, environment and social and resettlement; and some individual safeguards and procurement experts. The input from the firm will be about 56 person-months. The consultants were engaged by ADB in accordance with the Guidelines on the Use of Consultants by Asian Development Bank and Its Borrowers. The firm of consultants was selected using ADB's quality- and cost-based selection method. Assignments involve coordination with multiple agencies and countries, and complexities inherent to projects in border areas, which require a certain level of innovation in project delivery. The quality- and cost-based selection (simplified technical proposal) should be adopted, with a weight of technical proposal at 90%. All studies are being undertaken with same methodologies provided in the detailed TOR for both roads and LCS components, built on the feasibility study and the preliminary design. Disbursements under the TA will be done in accordance with the ADB's Technical Assistance Disbursement Handbook (May 2010, as amended).

Contact

Responsible ADB Officer

Sakai, Tsuneyuki

Responsible ADB Department

South Asia Department

Responsible ADB Division

Transport and Communications Division, SARD

Executing Agencies

Department of Economic Affairs, Ministry of Finance

Timetable

Concept Clearance

-

Fact Finding

-

MRM

-

Approval

12 Jul 2012

Last Review Mission

-

Last PDS Update

15 Mar 2016

Funding

TA 8116-IND