To establish a transparent and comprehensive ‘Performance Rating’ System for its consultants, contractors and concessionaires, NHAI has developed a ‘Vendor Performance Evaluation System’.  The portal based objective assessment of vendors’ has been initiated to track the performance of the vendors for various NHAI projects. The portal is available on the NHAI website under ‘Vendor Performance Evaluation System’. Under this portal, the vendors are required to conduct a self-assessment and upload the documents related to the project activities being executed by them, on the portal. The submissions are reviewed at multiple levels by NHAI, based on which a vendor rating is generated. In its endeavour to maintain high quality standards in highway development, NHAI is also taking all steps to ensure adherence to the standards during construction and maintenance of the projects. CW recently reported that the authority had debarred consultants, contractors. Read more below: • NHAI debars consultants, contractors on the mis-happening of collapse of RE Wall on Jetpur-Gondal Section of NH-8B in Gujarat• NHAI debars contractor, consultant for accident during launching of girders at the new four-lane bridge over river Ganga at downstream of Farakka Barrage• NHAI awarded highest length of projects during FY20-21 • NHAI aims to construct 23 new highways by 2025  The portal contains provision for rating the projects according to the mode of implementation and status of completion under BOT (Toll), BOT (Annuity), HAM, EPC works and for authority’s engineer, independent engineer and DPR consultants. To ensure that the evaluation is done in the most objective and balanced way, the vendor rating generated post multi-level reviews, shall be shared with the vendor. The vendor will also be given an opportunity to appeal against the generated rating. As on date, vendors have filled data for 853 projects (519 consultants and 334 contractors) which are under review at different stages. The vendors who fail to upload the requisite documents on the portal will not be allowed to participate in the bids of NHAI. Suitable amendments in bidding documents are being incorporated to make rating of vendors as one of the qualification criteria for awarding new projects. This rating system will increase the accountability of vendors thereby improving the quality of highways.