Strict penalties for delays, poor-quality work in National Highway projects: Centre
HYDERABAD: The Centre has imposed strict penalties for delays and substandard work in National Highway projects, the Lok Sabha was informed on March 12, 2026.
Responding to an unstarred question by Kunduru Raghuveer, Road Transport and Highways Minister Nitin Jairam Gadkari said multiple steps have been taken to ensure timely completion and quality execution of highway works.
Transparent systems and third-party audits in place
The government has introduced transparent e-tendering, milestone-linked payments, and digital monitoring systems to track progress. Quality checks are carried out by Independent Engineers and Authority’s Engineers, along with third-party inspections by Independent Quality Auditors.
“Strict penalties are imposed for delays or poor-quality work, ensuring better execution of highway projects,” Gadkari said.
All projects are implemented in accordance with Indian Roads Congress (IRC) standards and prescribed specifications to maintain quality.
Coordination meetings to resolve delays
Regular review meetings are conducted to monitor progress and address bottlenecks. The Centre and state government also hold interdepartmental coordination meetings to resolve pre-construction issues such as land acquisition, forest clearances, and utility shifting.
The minister said details of ongoing and sanctioned National Highway projects in Telangana, including costs, length, and timelines, have been provided in Annexure-A.
Focus on connectivity, proposals from states
On future expansion, the Centre said proposals for declaring or upgrading state roads as National Highways are received from states and Union Territories.
Approvals are based on connectivity needs, traffic density, and alignment with the PM Gati Shakti National Master Plan. This includes consideration for backward and semi-urban regions to improve connectivity and support industrial growth.
