PM Modi flags highway quality woes, sets May deadline for fixes

Alarmed by a surge in complaints over poor-quality highways, especially during and after the monsoon, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has set a May deadline for the road transport ministry to put quality first, asking it to draw up robust standard operating procedures (SOPs) to fix accountability gaps and ensure uniform standards.

During a recent review of the highway sector, Modi also directed the ministry to take tough action against underperforming contractors and those prone to excessive litigation — a move aimed at sending a clear warning to errant builders, officials said.

The intervention comes amid growing concern that substandard construction, weak supervision by consultants, and lax oversight by government engineers have collectively eroded the quality of highway projects.


In a series of directives, the Prime Minister asked the ministry to create a foolproof mechanism to ensure blacklisted contractors are barred from future tenders, even through indirect participation. Contractors displaying what officials described as “litigative behaviour” — including frequent resort to arbitration — will be identified and penalised through lower performance ratings.

Modi also flagged possible collusion between contractors and landowners, particularly farmers, which often leads to project delays and arbitration claims. The ministry has been instructed to conduct a detailed study of this pattern and recommend corrective steps.

To further tighten quality control, the ministry will move to end the practice of contractors appointing subcontractors without prior approval from highway authorities — a loophole seen as a key contributor to compromised construction standards. Revised norms will mandate explicit clearance before any subcontracting is allowed.

In a notable policy shift, Modi has also asked the ministry to stop the routine conversion of state highways into national highways. Future highway development, he said, must be “economy-centric”, prioritising connectivity between key economic hubs rather than mere network expansion.

The direction is significant given that the national highway network has expanded by nearly 60% under the current government — from about 91,300 km in March 2014 to around 1.46 lakh km now — making rapid highway construction one of its flagship achievements. Officials said states will continue to maintain their highways, while the Centre will focus on setting quality benchmarks and guiding implementation.

The Prime Minister has also sought a review of why high-speed corridors are operating at average speeds of just 50 kmph, well below the intended 70 kmph. The ministry has been asked to identify design and execution gaps and ensure such shortcomings are eliminated in future projects.