: India’s Minister of Road Transport and Highways, Nitin Gadkari, announced today that the ministry is in the final stages of formulating a policy aimed at making the nation’s highways “pothole-free” by the end of 2023. This was reported by news agency PTI. This ambitious initiative seeks to enhance the quality and maintenance of national highways across the country.
Speaking at a press conference on Thursday in New Delhi, Gadkari outlined the key components of the forthcoming policy. One significant aspect is the plan to engage independent civil engineers in monitoring and maintaining small stretches of national highways. The remuneration for these engineers will be closely tied to their performance, promoting accountability in road maintenance.
Gadkari drew inspiration from a successful scheme he launched as the Public Works Department (PWD) minister, where civil engineers with diplomas or degrees were entrusted with road maintenance tasks valued at up to Rs 15 lakh without the need for tenders. A similar model is now under consideration for national highways, where approximately 100 kilometers of road length would be assigned to civil engineers. In this innovative approach, engineers would see reductions in their remuneration for any potholes that appear under their watch.
The Ministry of Road Transport and Highways has taken comprehensive steps to ensure the success of this initiative. Road Transport and Highways Secretary, Anurag Jain, revealed that the ministry has mapped the entire 1,46,000-kilometer length of national highways and is finalizing performance-based maintenance contracts. The goal, Jain said, is to eradicate potholes from these vital road networks by December of this year.
To further enhance the quality of highways, Gadkari proposed an increased emphasis on the Build-Operate-Transfer (BOT) mode for future construction projects. Under the BOT model, private investors shoulder the financial risk of financing, building, and operating highway projects for an extended concession period, usually spanning 20-30 years. The developers recover their investments through user charges or tolls, ensuring long-term quality maintenance.
Gadkari explained the rationale behind this approach, highlighting the durability of roads constructed under the BOT mode. He stated, “Roads constructed under the EPC mode require early maintenance, whereas under the BOT mode, roads are better constructed as the contractor knows they will bear the cost of maintenance for the next 15-20 years.” Recognizing the impact of weather on road conditions, Gadkari also disclosed that the ministry is conducting a safety audit of national highways to identify vulnerabilities and preemptively address maintenance needs.