Chandigarh: Contractors managing several National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) projects in Punjab are increasingly terminating contract agreements and filing claims against the authority due to prolonged delays in land acquisition, compensation declarations, and slow disbursement of awards. According to an official report, 15 out of the 42 NHAI projects in Punjab have faced significant delays.
This report will be presented to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who is scheduled to chair a high-level meeting in New Delhi on Wednesday to review the status of major infrastructure development projects in Punjab and other states.
On July 15, during a lengthy six-hour meeting in New Delhi, Union Minister of Road Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari expressed serious concern over the stalled NHAI projects in Punjab. He directed both central and state officials to expedite their resumption.
The urgency of the situation is underscored by a recent report, on July 12 highlighted that ongoing farmers’ protests have heavily impacted Punjab’s infrastructure development. The NHAI has already terminated three projects worth ₹3,303 crore and is in the process of scrapping an additional four projects totaling ₹4,942 crore.
In Punjab, the NHAI is tasked with developing a 1,500-kilometer network of highways at an estimated cost of ₹52,000 crore. Among these projects, the Delhi-Amritsar-Katra expressway—a multi-state initiative with 11 out of 18 packages crossing through Punjab—is of particular importance. The Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) has requested a detailed presentation on the status of these projects.
The report reveals that 15 projects are significantly overdue, with the budget for highway and expressway construction and maintenance rising from ₹7,179 crore in 2021-22 to ₹12,419 crore in 2023-24. Despite a 2022 intervention by the Punjab and Haryana High Court ordering the state to support the NHAI, progress on the ground remains limited, exacerbated by ongoing farmers’ protests.
NHAI Chairman Santosh Kumar Yadav recently sought intervention from Punjab Chief Secretary Anurag Verma, leading to a meeting with district commissioners, NHAI officers, project directors, and the Additional Director General of Police in Chandigarh.
Minister Gadkari warned that if projects are not promptly restored, there may be a need to withdraw them and allocate new projects to states ready to advance infrastructure development. Meanwhile, Punjab PWD Minister Harbhajan Singh ETO assured that the government is committed to resolving all issues within a specified timeframe.
