Highway collapses trigger major action: 11 road ministry officials removed, several firms face penalties
The ministry stated that show-cause notices have been served to both the third-party authority engineer and the contractor involved in the Delhi-Dehradun Expressway case, seeking an explanation over the reported failure.
Nitin Gadkari says strict action taken after structural failures in national highway projects across multiple states
The Union Ministry of Road Transport and Highways has taken strict action against officials and private agencies after a series of incidents involving highway collapses, bridge failures, cave-ins and other infrastructure problems across the country.
Road Transport and Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari informed Parliament on Wednesday that 11 officials have been removed from service following performance reviews, while disciplinary action has been initiated against another 11 officers for alleged negligence and failure to ensure proper monitoring of projects.
The action came after several structural failures were reported on newly constructed national highway projects during 2025 and 2026 across states including Gujarat, Karnataka, Kerala, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal and Meghalaya.
Replying to a question raised by Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Sanjay Raut in the Rajya Sabha, Gadkari said the ministry had reviewed 19 major incidents involving bridges, flyovers and highway infrastructure. Based on investigations, action was taken against government officials as well as contractors, consultants and concessionaires involved in the projects.
The ministry has imposed various penalties on companies, including contract cancellations, financial fines, suspension of work, blacklisting, debarment and declaring firms as non-performing agencies. In some cases, contractors have also been directed to rebuild damaged structures at their own expense.
Action taken in Delhi-Dehradun Expressway case
Addressing concerns over the cave-in reported on the Delhi-Dehradun Expressway, Gadkari said two potholes developed at the affected location. The contractor repaired the damage under contractual responsibility without additional cost to the government.
The ministry attributed the issue to localised waterlogging caused by delayed drainage connections and slope protection work. Heavy rainfall led to water accumulation, which affected the road structure.
Following the incident, show-cause notices were issued to both the third-party authority engineer and the contractor. The team leader of the authority engineer and the contractor’s project manager were also suspended.
An independent structural and pavement audit of the Delhi-Dehradun Economic Corridor was later conducted by the Central Road Research Institute (CRRI) and IIT Roorkee.
Stronger monitoring system planned
The ministry said the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) already follows a system of independent safety audits, regular structural inspections and expert investigations into infrastructure failures.
According to the ministry’s framework, preliminary reports of structural failures must be submitted within three days, followed by detailed final reports within seven days.
Gadkari said the government would continue taking strict action against those responsible for poor-quality work or negligence to ensure safer and more reliable highway infrastructure across the country.
News source: Information for this article was gathered from a variety of reliable news outlets.
