A total of 653 National Highway (NH) projects currently under construction have missed their original completion timelines, with a cumulative project cost of about ₹4.24 lakh crore, the government informed the Parliament.
According to a written reply to a question by Road Transport and Highways Minister Nitin Jairam Gadkari, the delayed projects include 316 projects running behind schedule by less than 1 year, 252 delayed between 1 and 3 years, and 85 projects lagging by more than 3 years without reaching any stage of completion.
“Currently, 653 under-construction National Highways (NHs) projects with cumulative project cost of about ₹4.24 lakh crore have spilled beyond their original completion schedule as per contract. Of which, 316 projects are facing delay of less than 1 year, 252 projects of 1–3 years and 85 projects of more than 3 years, without attaining any of the various stages of project completion and excluding projects under consideration of termination or foreclosure,” Gadkari said.
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The minister clarified that cost overruns are not automatic in all delayed projects.
If the delay is not attributable to the contractor, price escalation is paid as per contract conditions, which may or may not result in additional costs depending on the final project value.
However, when delays are contractor-related, damages are imposed and no extra cost is borne due to the delay.
According to the minister, project timelines are generally fixed at 2 to 3 years from actual commencement, with contractual provisions allowing extensions under defined conditions.
Such extensions are granted in line with standard agreements when delays arise from factors beyond the control of authorities or contractors.
Key reasons cited for delays include land acquisition bottlenecks, statutory clearances, utility shifting, encroachment removal, legal and financial issues, poor contractor performance, and force majeure events such as the Covid-19 pandemic.
The minister also noted that 36 under-construction NH projects were terminated during the last three financial years, including cases where implementation delays occurred before any completion stage was achieved.
To curb future delays and cost escalations, the minister underlined several measures that have been introduced, including the use of the Bhoomirashi portal for faster land acquisition, revamping the Parivesh portal for quicker environmental clearances, enabling online approval of General Arrangement Drawings for road overbridges and underbridges, and strengthening project monitoring through regular reviews with stakeholders.
“As a result of the above, the number of projects delayed by more than 3 years has come down from 152 in April 2024 to 85 in February 2026,” the minister added.
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