PAC reprimands NHAI over delays in National Highway work in Kerala

The Public Accounts Committee (PAC) has expressed strong dissatisfaction with the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) regarding the slow pace of National Highway construction across various regions of Kerala. During the PAC meeting held on Wednesday, Member of Parliament K.C. Venugopal raised this issue and demanded immediate intervention to speed up the work. During the proceedings, NHAI officials informed the committee that the remaining highway works would be completed by March 2027.

During the meeting, Mr. Venugopal instructed the NHAI to coordinate with the neighbouring state of Tamil Nadu to remove restrictions imposed on the transport of materials required for construction. Additionally, he criticised the failure to resolve complaints made by passengers regarding the management of toll plazas. In response, officials from the Union Ministry of Road Transport and Highways stated that feedback and complaints would be collected through the 'Rajmarg Yatra' app and appropriate action would be taken accordingly.

The committee also expressed concern over the delay in conducting safety audits on stretches of the National Highway. Following the Kuriyad accident last year, audits were recommended to identify design flaws and accident-prone spots. The PAC emphasised that no compromise could be made with passenger safety. A committee formed for this purpose had identified 328 spots in Kerala, of which inspections have been completed at 170 spots. Construction of 8 km long viaducts has begun where safety flaws were found. NHAI officials assured that issues at the remaining spots would also be resolved.

These inspection reports will be reviewed in the next two months, after which further action will be decided. Currently, a proposal to construct 22 km long viaducts at 73 spots is under consideration. NHAI informed the committee that if the state government acquires and hands over the necessary land, 7-metre wide service roads can be constructed.

PAC Chairman K.C. Venugopal emphasised the need for better coordination between the NHAI and the state government to remove obstacles and accelerate highway construction. He directed the Chief Secretary to ensure the necessary intervention by the state government. Simultaneously, raising the issue of toll collection at Nattika, he questioned why toll collection continues despite the poor condition of the road. C.N. Singh, Joint Secretary of the Union Ministry of Road Transport and Highways, stated that the possibility of suspending toll collection could be examined if the road is found to be in poor condition.

Mr. Venugopal concluded by emphasising that along with completing the development works of the National Highway, equal priority must be given to passenger safety, road quality, and the timely resolution of toll-related complaints. This entire discussion was conducted as per a report by The Hindu.