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Informist, Wednesday, Aug. 19, 2026

 

--Minister Gadkari: Started rating infra contractors for project awards 

--CONTEXT: Comments by Transport Minister Gadkari at event in Delhi 

 

NEW DELHI – The Union Ministry of Road Transport and Highways has started rating infrastructure contractors, Road Transport and Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari said at the Tunnels and Bridges Conference 2026 here Wednesday. The ministry has also started rating detailed project reports for infrastructure projects, he said.

 

Gadkari said much improvement is needed in the way detailed project reports are drawn up. "We make such bad quality DPR (detailed project reports)", he said, that annually the country reports more than 500,000 accidents on the road and over 180,000 deaths. The minister said at least 40% of road accidents and nearly all road problems can be traced to defective detailed project reports.

 

Gadkari emphasised that there is a need for a permanent policy regarding technical qualifications for infrastructure projects. The performance audit ought to be more important than the financial audit, he said. "We are very much interested in government about financial audit," the minister said. "But now, after 12 years of my experience in this ministry, I am coming to the conclusion that performance audit is more important than a financial audit. We need to differentiate the contractors who are making good quality construction."

 

The focus of all infrastructure stakeholders should be to maintain the quality of roads while keeping costs in check, Gadkari said. "There are a lot of things which we need to reform in the interests of the sector," he said, adding that the industry should encourage advanced construction technologies.  End

 

Reported by Astha Oriel

Edited by Rajeev Pai

 

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