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Parliament was informed that 489 road projects originally due by March 2025 are facing delays due to land acquisition, forest clearances, and railway approvals. Union Minister Nitin Gadkari stated the government is coordinating with state authorities to address these issues. Many projects have also seen cost overruns caused by higher land compensation, GST, public-demanded infrastructure additions, and design changes to meet railway standards. In cases of prolonged delays, contracts may be terminated and re-awarded. Gadkari also confirmed national highways are built per Indian Road Congress (IRC) standards, with design speeds of up to 120 km/h for expressways and 100 km/h for highways.
The Parliament was recently informed that as many as 489 road projects, which were originally scheduled for completion by March 2025, are now facing delays. The main reasons for these setbacks are issues with land acquisition, securing forest and wildlife clearances, and obtaining railway approvals. Advertisement
Shri Nitin Gadkari, the Union Road Transport and Highways Minister, provided this information in a written reply to the Rajya Sabha. He stated that the government is making all efforts to resolve these pending issues. This involves working closely with state governments and other involved parties to ensure these projects are completed.
Gadkari also noted that some of the delayed projects have seen cost overruns. These extra costs are due to various factors, including higher compensation payments for land and existing structures, price increases, the impact of Goods & Services Tax (GST), and additional structures like Vehicular Underpasses (VUPs) or Pedestrian Underpasses (PUPs) requested by the public.
Changes in designs for Road Over Bridges (ROBs) or Road Under Bridges (RUBs) to meet Railway standards have also contributed to increased costs. If projects are significantly delayed for certain reasons and further progress under the current contract is not expected, Gadkari added that the contract is terminated or closed early, and then re-awarded. This might happen with or without changes to how the project is set up.
Responding to a separate question, Gadkari confirmed that national highways are constructed following the specifications set by the Indian Road Congress (IRC). He stated that the maximum design speed for national highways in different types of terrain is 120 kilometers per hour for expressways and 100 kilometers per hour for national highways. These efforts highlight the government's ongoing push to build and maintain India's road network, despite the complexities involved in such large-scale infrastructure projects.
Source: PTI
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