NHAI debars contractor, consultant

08 Sep 2020 CW Staff

Photo courtesy: The Hans India

The National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) has taken strict action against the defaulting firms on the unfortunate accident during launching of girders on February 16, 2020, at the new four-lane bridge over river Ganga at downstream of Farakka Barrage including approaches connecting the Farakka-Raiganj section of NH-34 in West Bengal, leading to two casualties.

One of the under construction spans had collapsed owing to toppling of the launching girders leading to collapse of the erected span. Post incident, NHAI appointed a bridge expert to investigate the causes. It was found that the accident happened due to lack of coordination between the contractor, design consultant and designer of launching girder in design and execution of the superstructure of the bridge. Further, the contractor and consultants responsible for design and launching girder system failed to present any convincing reasons during investigation for the causes leading to the unfortunate incident.

NHAI has accordingly taken action against the parties responsible for the accident as under:

1. Qingdao Construction Engineering Group Co, China, and RKEC Projects, India, have been debarred from participation in future projects jointly as well as severally for three years.

2. VAX Consultants and Nagesh Consultants are debarred from participation in future projects jointly as well as severally for three years.

3. NC Infracon Consultant (New Delhi) has been debarred from participation in future projects jointly as well as severally for three years.

Commenting on the matter, Dr Sukhbir Singh Sandhu, Chairman, NHAI, said “If any contractor or consultant deviates from the contractual obligations and compromises public safety, it becomes imperative for NHAI to take stringent action against such defaulters. It is warned that lapses shall not be tolerated and strict action shall be taken against defaulting firms and personnel.”

In another recent news, CW had reported that in its endeavour to maintain high quality standards in highway development, NHAI is taking all steps to ensure adherence to the standards during construction and maintenance of the projects.

Photo courtesy: The Hans IndiaThe National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) has taken strict action against the defaulting firms on the unfortunate accident during launching of girders on February 16, 2020, at the new four-lane bridge over river Ganga at downstream of Farakka Barrage including approaches connecting the Farakka-Raiganj section of NH-34 in West Bengal, leading to two casualties.One of the under construction spans had collapsed owing to toppling of the launching girders leading to collapse of the erected span. Post incident, NHAI appointed a bridge expert to investigate the causes. It was found that the accident happened due to lack of coordination between the contractor, design consultant and designer of launching girder in design and execution of the superstructure of the bridge. Further, the contractor and consultants responsible for design and launching girder system failed to present any convincing reasons during investigation for the causes leading to the unfortunate incident.NHAI has accordingly taken action against the parties responsible for the accident as under:1. Qingdao Construction Engineering Group Co, China, and RKEC Projects, India, have been debarred from participation in future projects jointly as well as severally for three years.2. VAX Consultants and Nagesh Consultants are debarred from participation in future projects jointly as well as severally for three years.3. NC Infracon Consultant (New Delhi) has been debarred from participation in future projects jointly as well as severally for three years. Commenting on the matter, Dr Sukhbir Singh Sandhu, Chairman, NHAI, said “If any contractor or consultant deviates from the contractual obligations and compromises public safety, it becomes imperative for NHAI to take stringent action against such defaulters. It is warned that lapses shall not be tolerated and strict action shall be taken against defaulting firms and personnel.”In another recent news, CW had reported that in its endeavour to maintain high quality standards in highway development, NHAI is taking all steps to ensure adherence to the standards during construction and maintenance of the projects.

Infrastructure Transport

13 Oct 2025

Tata, Airbus to Build India’s First Private Helicopter Line

In a landmark development for India’s aerospace sector, Tata Advanced Systems Limited (TASL) and Airbus will establish the country’s first private-sector helicopter assembly line in Vemagal, Karnataka. The facility will manufacture the Airbus H125 and H125M, marking a significant milestone in India’s push for self-reliance in aviation and defence manufacturing. The new Final Assembly Line (FAL) will produce the H125, the world’s best-selling single-engine helicopter, known for its versatility and performance in extreme environments. The first ‘Made in India’ H125 is expected to ro..

Infrastructure Urban

13 Oct 2025

NeGD to Support Bharat Taxi in Building Cooperative Ride Platform

In a significant move for India’s digital and mobility transformation, the National e-Governance Division (NeGD) of the Digital India Corporation, under the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY), has entered into an advisory partnership with Sahakar Taxi Cooperative Limited, the company behind Bharat Taxi — a first-of-its-kind, cooperative-led national ride-hailing platform. A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) has been signed between NeGD and Sahakar Taxi to provide strategic advisory and technical support covering key areas such as platform integration, cybersecurity..

Technology

13 Oct 2025

MeitY Hosts Pre-Summit for India–AI Impact Summit 2026

The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY), Government of India, hosted a series of Pre-Summit events for the upcoming India–AI Impact Summit 2026 at the India Mobile Congress (IMC) 2025 in New Delhi. These sessions mark a key milestone ahead of the main summit, scheduled for 19–20 February 2026 at Bharat Mandapam, New Delhi. Delivering the inaugural address, S. Krishnan, Secretary, MeitY, highlighted India’s innovative and frugal approach to AI development. “We have adopted innovative means by learning from others’ experiences to build projects and products that..