4 years of delay, short 87-km stretch derails Rs 1-lakh-crore Delhi-Mumbai Expressway

At the end of almost four years now, less than 20 per cent of the 87 km has been completed, raising red flags in the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways. And frustrated at the slow progress, the NHAI is now considering issuing notices to RSIIL, that may even result in the termination of the contract.

When contacted, Navjeet Gadhoke, Director, RSIIL, attributed the delay to “non-provision of land by NHAI”.

NHAI officials, however, blamed non-performance by RSIIL and contractual disputes and litigations for adversely affecting the pace of execution.

The Expressway, which passes through Delhi, Haryana, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat and Maharashtra, is divided into 53 packages.

The three packages — numbers 8 (Jujuwa-Gandeva), 9 (Karvad-Jujuwa) and 10 (Talsari-Karvad) on the Vadodara-Virar section in Gujarat — were awarded to RSIIL in May, July and March of 2021, respectively. Work has barely progressed in these stretches, even as the rest of the Expressway in Gujarat is almost ready.

NHAI first scrapped the contract for Jujuwa-Gandeva and Karvad-Jujuwa in March 2023 due to delays, and issued a new tender. RSIIL participated in the tender again, and ended up bagging the contract in November 2023 with the lowest bid.

A MoRTH official said RSIIL should not have got the contract the second time. When asked this question, a senior NHAI official said, “We cannot stop them from participating in the tender. The company quoted the lowest amount and was declared L1. The rule is L1 should be declared winner.”

RSIIL, on its part, said the termination of the two packages was “illegal”. “After rebidding the same works again, NHAI had no option but to give these to RSIIL as there was no default by the contractor,” Gadhoke said.

When there are continuous delays on the part of a contractor, NHAI officials said the authority has options such as issuing a “cure period” notice before taking stern action such as debarment or blacklisting. ‘Cure period’ refers to specific time given to a contractor to set right or fix the breaches before a termination notice can be served.

Upon completion of all sections, the Delhi-Mumbai Expressway is expected to reduce the distance from Delhi to Jawaharlal Nehru Port in Mumbai by 180 km. It will also reduce travel time by up to 50 per cent to connected destinations. Of the total Rs 1,03,636 crore project cost, Rs 71,718 crore has been incurred so far. Some of the sections of Delhi-Mumbai Expressway such as Delhi-Lalsot, and some sections of Gujarat and Rajasthan are operational.

Dheeraj Mishra is a Principal Correspondent with the Business Bureau of The Indian Express. He plays a critical role in covering India's massive infrastructure sectors, providing in-depth reporting on the connectivity lifelines of the nation. Expertise & Focus Areas: Mishra’s journalism is focused on two of the country's most capital-intensive and public-facing ministries: Ministry of Railways: Tracking the operations, safety, and development of India's vast railway network. Ministry of Road Transport & Highways: Covering policy decisions, infrastructure projects, and highway development. What sets Mishra apart is his rigorous use of the Right to Information (RTI) Actas a primary tool for news gathering. By relying on official data and government records, he ensures a high degree of accuracy and trustworthiness in his reporting. This data-driven approach has resulted in numerous impactful reports that hold public institutions accountable and bring transparency to government operations. Find all stories by Dheeraj Mishra here ... Read More

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