News Brief
Technical Deficiencies In Delhi-Mumbai Expressway: Four Contractors Held Responsible, NHAI Officials Under Scrutiny, Says Gadkari
Union Road Transport and Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari. (Representative Image)
Union Minister Nitin Gadkari announced on Thursday (5 December) that four contractors have been held responsible for construction deficiencies in the Delhi-Mumbai Expressway.
He assured that strict action will be taken against them.
“After noting the deficiencies, we roped in experts from IIT-Kharagpur and IIT-Gandhinagar. Initial findings of the report show there are deficiencies in its construction,” the Union Road Transport Minister said during Question Hour in the Lok Sabha.
Gadkari ruled out any wrongdoing in the construction material used in the expressway.
“It is not an issue about the quality of construction material. There has been no wrongdoing in it. There is a 10-year defect liability period of the highway and the contractors will be held liable,” he said.
Gadkari also outlined his strategy, which includes fixing accountability of officials, suspending defaulters, retiring redundant staff, and blacklisting contractors.
Highlighting the significance of the Delhi-Mumbai Expressway, Gadkari said, “The expressway was built at a cost of Rs 1 lakh crore. It has reduced the distance between Delhi and Mumbai by 200 km. The travel time between the two cities has now reduced to 12 hours.”
Responding to a written question on the same subject in Lok Sabha, Gadkari said on Wednesday that “as per initial findings of the investigation certain deficiencies have been observed in the quality of stone mastic asphalt (SMA) layer. The stretches of damaged SMA layer are proposed to be relaid by EPC contractors at their own cost.”
“Meanwhile, the rectification work is being done by the contractor concerned at their own cost as per the mandate of maintenance and defect liability period of 10 years as envisaged in the contract agreement, and are maintaining the stretch in traffic worthy condition,” he had said.
The minister also informed the House that "show cause notices have been issued to NHAI officers responsible for monitoring in the field".
"Final action is to be taken based on outcome of the enquiry," he added.
