Road Transport Minister Nitin Gadkari
A lot is said about the country’s roads, but the reality is different. Replying to a question from Trinamool Congress (TMC) MP Mohammad Nadimul Haq, Gadkari revealed that 419 projects out of 952 could not be completed by the original deadline of March 2024. The projects were originally scheduled to be completed in 2024 but have not been completed due to delays. Project delays were highest in Maharashtra and Gujarat, with projects here experiencing delays of 50%.
Listing out many reasons behind the delays in these schemes, Nitin Gadkari said the reasons for delays include land acquisition, statutory approvals, clearance of encroachments, law and order, poor performance of contractors. We are working hard to improve these.
Apart from this, Gadkari said, work will also be affected due to emergencies such as the Covid-19 pandemic, heavy rains, floods, cyclones, landslides and other emergencies. As a result, work was effectively delayed. These events cannot be prevented. For these reasons, work has been greatly affected.
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Gadkari, however, said that if the work is delayed due to the fault of the contractor, he will be punished. Gadkari said there was no difference in project cost due to delays.
Maximum work delays in Maharashtra
Gadkari said road project delays were worst in Maharashtra, with 59 out of 101 projects here behind schedule. These figures do not include projects that have been considered for termination or closure.
Which states are experiencing work delays?
Projects were delayed almost everywhere, with Gujarat ranking second after Maharashtra with 22 out of 31 projects experiencing delays. In addition, 22 out of 78 projects in Uttar Pradesh, 22 out of 48 projects in Karnataka, 19 out of 75 projects in Andhra Pradesh, and 19 out of 44 projects in Bihar Work on 18 out of 40 projects in Tamil Nadu and 17 out of 38 projects in Jammu and Kashmir is progressing slowly. Apart from this, 16 projects each were postponed in Uttarakhand and Odisha.
