Centre Mulls Rating System For Consultancy Firms Engaged In Road DPR Preparation Amid Concerns Over Quality

In a bid to raise standards in road infrastructure planning, the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH) has announced plans to introduce a rating system for consultancy firms that prepare Detailed Project Reports (DPRs) for highway and road construction projects.

The move follows sharp criticism from Union Road Transport and Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari, who recently expressed dissatisfaction over the quality of DPRs submitted for various road works.

DPRs are crucial documents outlining technical, financial, and logistical details necessary for the design and execution of road projects.

MoRTH has now released an office memorandum inviting public comments on a concept note detailing the proposed rating mechanism.

The idea is to create a structured framework to assess and rank consultancy firms based on the quality, accuracy, and thoroughness of the DPRs they produce.

Officials believe that such a system will help assessing "actual performance of DPR firms in objective terms", identify performers and non-performers, and prepare policy to incentivise and disincentivise DPR firms.

In a related initiative, the ministry has issued another memorandum seeking public input on proposed amendments to the Request for Proposal (RFP) process for engaging consultancy services tasked with preparing DPRs for national highways and centrally funded road schemes.

The dual measures is part of MoRTH’s effort to overhaul practices in the sector, aiming for higher precision and better planning in India’s extensive road network development.

This comes as substandard DPRs often result in cost overruns, project delays, and technical issues during construction.

Also Read: Indian Navy Nears Induction Of Indigenous ERASR Anti-Submarine Rockets With Successful User Trials From INS Kavaratti