National Highway quality complaints surge over 60% in FY26: MoRTH informs Rajya Sabha

Union Road Transport and Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari said grievances related to highway construction, maintenance, and riding surface conditions have surged significantly in FY26.

Even as the Centre continues to push record investment into road infrastructure, the public complaint over the quality of National Highways has registered a steep increase of over 60% compared to the previous year, according to data tabled in Rajya Sabha.

“The government takes cognisance of these grievances, apart from regular review and monitoring of NHs projects towards ensuring that necessary corrective actions are taken up by the concessionaires / contractors for the NH projects.

Actions against defaulting agencies are taken as per the provisions of the contract/ concession agreement in case of any defaults, such as termination of contract agreement, levying of penalties/ liquidated damages, debarment/ blacklisting, declaring as non-performers, etc.,” said Gadkari.

Complaints dipped in FY24 before rising again in FY25.

The current spike is the highest recorded in the past four years and comes at a time when highway construction has been backed by increased budgetary allocations.

A large part of this goes into maintaining project quality to ensure road safety.

According to data presented in the Rajya Sabha , 9,977 complaints were resolved in FY26 (up to March 12), compared to 7,066 in FY25, 6,726 in FY24, and 7,307 in FY23.

During FY24 and FY25, the number of grievances disposed exceeded those received since authorities also cleared pending cases from previous years.

Gadkari added that to address quality concerns, the Centre has introduced several technology-driven measures such as using automated and machine-aided construction techniques, periodic road condition assessments using Network Survey Vehicles, and geo-tagging of defects through a centralised mobile application.

Drone-based monitoring and artificial intelligence tools are also being deployed to evaluate construction quality and progress.

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.

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