NEW DELHI: Union Transport ministry has been able to achieve only 6604 km of its 15000 km annual target for construction of highways till February this year, the government said Thursday.
Replying to a question in Lok Sabha, Minister of State for Road Transport and Highways Pon Radhakrishnan said that the slow speed of construction of national highway is mainly due to land acquisition.
The other reasons include utility shifting, non-availability of soil/aggregates, poor performance of contractors, environment, forest, wildlife clearance, issues with Railways, public agitation for additional facilities and arbitration disputes with contractors.
“There is a well-established mechanism for monitoring and testing of quality of construction and development of work of National Highways (NHs) by engaging a consultancy firm of international and national repute for every project to ensure quality construction,” he said.
The minister further said that they supervise, monitor and conduct tests as per procedures laid down in various codes published by Indian Road Congress, manuals & ministry specifications for road and bridge works and National Highway Authority India Quality Manuals.
Apart from this, field units and quality division of ministry, NHAI and state PWD also conduct inspection at various project sites regularly to monitor the quality of work.
“Quality Auditors are also engaged from time to time for conducting Quality Audits of the project work. On observation of any violation, action against the defaulter is taken as per provision in the agreement,” the minister added.
The Ministry has empanelled national level project monitors for monitoring of critical and languishing National Highways projects all over the country.