As Complaints Rise, PM Calls For NH Upkeep

02 Jan 2025 CW Team

Amid rising complaints about the quality of construction of national highways and expressways, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has directed the road transport ministry to fix systemic issues, including rampant sub-contracting of work by highway builders, poor project reports and contractors quoting very low prices, resulting in inferior construction. Chairing a review meeting of the road transport sector on Wednesday evening, Modi instructed the road ministry and NHAI to focus on building and maintenance of NHs, and to leave development of roads in cities to the state govts, sources said. They added the issue of poor quality of construction and maintenance of highways was discussed at length and Modi sought quick action to address these concerns. PM also asked officials to take steps to develop quality-conscious highway builders and consultants preparing project reports rather than having a large pool of players who are bagging projects quoting prices 30-40% below the estimated costs. There have been multiple instances of mishaps at under-construction tunnels, bridges and cases of newly completed highways caving in or rutting barely months after their inauguration. The most recent examples were the bad riding conditions on Sohna-Dausa stretch of Delhi-Mumbai, Amritsar-Jamnagar and Eastern Peripheral Expressways. In the past six-seven months, the NHAI has debarred seven contractors for 1-24 months and has imposed a cumulative fine of Rs 230 million. Sources also said Modi has asked the ministry to avoid dividing NH corridors into several small packages to keep the cost just below Rs 10 billion, which don't need Cabinet approval. He asked the ministry to send complete corridor projects for Cabinet approval. At the meeting, the ministry was directed to prepare a detailed report on arbitrations of past 20 years in highway projects with details of parties, claims, names of arbitrators and the award amount. Sources said so far there have been around 750 arbitration cases in the highway sector, and nearly 115 of them with claims of approximately Rs 1 trillion are ongoing.

Infrastructure Transport

11 May 2026

Shivraj Chouhan Launches PMGSY IV and Announces Package for Madhya Pradesh

Union Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan launched the Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana (PMGSY) IV at Bhairunda in Sehore district during the 25 year celebrations and announced a development package for Madhya Pradesh. The programme was organised by the Union Ministry of Rural Development and attended by Chief Minister Dr Mohan Yadav, ministers of state, state ministers, legislators and senior officials from the centre and the state. The minister said the central government under the Prime Minister is committed to strengthening rural livelihoods through improved connectivity, housing and women's in..

DMR Engineering Reports FY 25-26 Financial Results

DMR Engineering reported its half year results for the financial year ended 31 March 2026 and published full year figures on a standalone basis. Standalone revenue from operations decreased by 2.01 per cent year-over-year to Rs 102.58 million (mn), while profit after tax declined by 43.94 per cent to nine point five six mn, leaving a profit after tax margin of nine point zero five per cent. Earnings per share stood at Rs zero point nine two, a fall of 44.71 per cent year-over-year. The company attributed part of the decline to one-off provisioning for bad debts and additional financing charges..

Atlanta Electricals Posts Strong FY26 Growth And Debt Free Finish

Atlanta Electricals reported audited consolidated results for the quarter and year ended 31 March 2026. The company recorded significant year-on-year revenue growth driven by capacity ramp-up at new facilities and higher utilisation at legacy plants. The announcement summarised operating improvements and strategic milestones achieved during the year. For Q4 the company reported revenue of Rs 7.48 bn and for FY26 revenue of Rs 18.52 bn, representing robust growth versus the prior year. EBITDA in Q4 was Rs. 1.49 bn and Rs. 3.44 bn for the full year, with margins expanding to 20 per cent in the q..