Govt overhauls highway projects’ org to establish a specialised cadre

The government is contemplating a significant overhaul of the organisations responsible for executing highway projects, aiming to establish a specialised cadre within these agencies. This shift would facilitate the promotion of in-house executives to top leadership positions, departing from the prevailing approach of appointing officers on deputation to key roles.These proposed modifications are intended to reshape the functioning of the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) and the National Highways & Infrastructure Development Corp (NHIDCL), making them function more akin to Public Sector Undertakings (PSUs). This alteration would reduce the frequency of officer transfers from parent ministries, fostering a more stable operational environment.Furthermore, these changes seek to eliminate the prevalent practice of having senior bureaucrats at the helm, thereby enabling cadre officers to ascend to the highest echelons of the organisational hierarchy.A senior government official conveyed that there is a need to instil a sense of ownership among NHAI and NHIDCL officers. In line with this objective, plans are underway to revise the composition and structure of these central agencies.Both NHAI and NHIDCL serve as the primary arms of the government for the execution of national highway projects.As per official estimates, NHAI currently employs 905 regular staff members. Among them, 258 are officers on deputation from various state governments, Public Work Departments (PWDs), Military Engineering Services (MES), Border Roads Organisation, and the central government.Within the Group A officer category, NHAI employs 557 officers as part of its core team, while 251 officers are on deputation. Notably, 84 officers hail from the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH).