Union Minister Nitin Gadkari has issued stern warnings against contractors and consultants involved in preparing defective detailed project reports (DPRs), calling them 'culprits' behind highway accidents and fatalities. According to reports from PTI and Daijiworld Media Network, the road, transport and highways minister addressed the 4th Edition of Tunnels & Bridges Conference 2026 in the national capital, stating that consultants prepare these documents with the help of Google, causing significant loss of life and property. 'Such poor-quality DPRs mean that today on roads, 5 lakh accidents occur, and 1.8 lakh deaths, and all have the problem of defective DPRs,' Gadkari said. The minister's remarks come amid reports that his ministry is preparing tunnel tenders worth ₹2 lakh crore to ₹2.5 lakh crore, highlighting the scale of infrastructure development amid quality concerns.
The minister announced stricter enforcement measures for contractors who compromise on construction quality after securing infrastructure projects. As reported by PTI and Daijiworld Media Network, Gadkari stated that 'There will be a performance audit besides a financial audit, and based on the results, the contractors will be punished and black-listed.' The minister emphasized that ratings will be given to contractors and DPR consultants based on which it will be decided whether to allow them to participate in future bids or not. Additionally, his ministry will review existing provisions governing subcontracting of highway works to ensure strict adherence to contractual requirements and that responsibility for quality and timely execution remains clearly with the principal contractor. Due to these compromises, economic loss happens, and people are losing lives in road accidents, according to the minister.
According to FICCI, the Union Road Transport & Highways ministry is preparing tunnel tenders worth ₹2 lakh crore to ₹2.5 lakh crore. This substantial tender pipeline comes amid Gadkari's warnings about quality standards. The minister encouraged the industry to lead on domestic manufacture of tunnel boring machines, whose capital cost he identified as a binding constraint, and to convene a technical session on ultra-high performance concrete.
S Paramasivan, Chair of FICCI Committee on Roads & Highways, placed four industry concerns before the Minister during the conference. As reported by PTI and Daijiworld Media Network, Paramasivan, who is also Managing Director of Afcons Infrastructure, highlighted that the predominant use of L1, or lowest-bid, award was producing tenders 20 per cent or more below estimated cost, putting commercial viability and execution quality under pressure. He urged adoption of quality-cum-cost based selection as the preferred method for complex projects and those above ₹1,000 crore, with technical parameters weighted at 70 to 80 per cent. Paramasivan noted that provisions for quality-cum-cost based selection already exist at the finance ministry and MoRTH but see little use, emphasizing their adoption for complex infrastructure projects.
