85 Under-Construction National Highway Projects Delayed

25 Mar 2026 CW Team

The minister stated that bottlenecks relating to land acquisition, statutory clearances and permissions, shifting of utilities and removal of encroachments have been significant impediments. Law and order issues and financial constraints that affect the implementation capacity of concessionaires and contractors have further contributed to extended schedules. Instances of poor performance by contractors and force majeure events such as the Covid-19 pandemic and changes of law were also cited as causes of delay.

The government has introduced measures to reduce recurrence of delays and to contain cost escalation. These include streamlining land acquisition and compensation processes by using the BhoomiRashi portal integrated with the Public Finance Management System (PFMS) and a GIS based Land Acquisition Plan, and revamping the Parivesh portal to accelerate forest and environmental clearances. The ministry has also enabled online approval of the General Arrangement of Drawings (GAD) for Road Over Bridges and Road Under Bridges and strengthened mechanisms for review and resolution of bottlenecks in ongoing projects.

Officials indicated that the combined approach of digital tools, procedural reforms and focused oversight is intended to enhance implementation efficiency and reduce time overrun. The measures are designed to address systemic obstacles and to improve coordination among agencies responsible for clearances and land related processes. Continued monitoring and periodic review are expected to help bring delayed NH projects back on schedule and to limit further cost escalation.

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85 under-construction National Highways (NH) projects are delayed by more than three years, the Road, Transport and Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari informed the Rajya Sabha. The minister attributed the prolonged timelines to a range of procedural and implementation challenges that have affected progress. The disclosure followed a written reply submitted to the Upper House detailing the current status of ongoing NH work. The minister stated that bottlenecks relating to land acquisition, statutory clearances and permissions, shifting of utilities and removal of encroachments have been significant impediments. Law and order issues and financial constraints that affect the implementation capacity of concessionaires and contractors have further contributed to extended schedules. Instances of poor performance by contractors and force majeure events such as the Covid-19 pandemic and changes of law were also cited as causes of delay. The government has introduced measures to reduce recurrence of delays and to contain cost escalation. These include streamlining land acquisition and compensation processes by using the BhoomiRashi portal integrated with the Public Finance Management System (PFMS) and a GIS based Land Acquisition Plan, and revamping the Parivesh portal to accelerate forest and environmental clearances. The ministry has also enabled online approval of the General Arrangement of Drawings (GAD) for Road Over Bridges and Road Under Bridges and strengthened mechanisms for review and resolution of bottlenecks in ongoing projects. Officials indicated that the combined approach of digital tools, procedural reforms and focused oversight is intended to enhance implementation efficiency and reduce time overrun. The measures are designed to address systemic obstacles and to improve coordination among agencies responsible for clearances and land related processes. Continued monitoring and periodic review are expected to help bring delayed NH projects back on schedule and to limit further cost escalation.

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