Lok Sabha Question No. 1776 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2024-12-05
Subject: Funds Allocated for Maintenance of NHs
Ministry: ROAD TRANSPORT AND HIGHWAYS
Asked by: Shri Rajiv Pratap Rudy

## be pleased to state:

- (a)  the  total  amount  of  funds  allocated  for  the  maintenance  of National Highways(NHs) across the country;
- (b)  whether  the  Government  has  considered  that  given  the  vast length of National Highways, the allocated amount for maintenance may be inadequate, if so, the details thereof;
- (c) whether the Government is aware of recommendations, including  those  from  NITI  Aayog,  which  suggest  prioritizing  the maintenance  of existing roads over the construction of  new National Highways, if so, the details thereof; and
- (d)  whether  the  Government  acknowledges  any  direct  connection between the lack of  infrastructure  improvement  on  older  National Highways  and  the  increasing  number  of  road  accidents  in  the country, if so, the details thereof?

## ANSWER

## THE MINISTER OF ROAD TRANSPORT AND HIGHWAYS

## (SHRI NITIN JAIRAM GADKARI)

- (a) Provisional allocation for all types of Maintenance and Repair (M&R) works on National Highways (NHs)  by the Ministry of  Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH) during 2024-25 is about ₹ 6,500 Crore.

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA

## MINISTRY OF ROAD TRANSPORT AND HIGHWAYS

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 1776

## ANSWERED ON 05 TH  DECEMBER, 2024

## FUNDS ALLOCATED FOR MAINTENANCE OF NHS 1776.  SHRI RAJIV PRATAP RUDY:

## Will the Minister of ROAD TRANSPORT AND HIGHWAYS

सड़क परिवहन औि िाजमार्ग मंत्री

(b) and (c) Development  and  maintenance  of  NHs  is  a  continuous process. The conditions of NHs are assessed from time to time by MoRTH and its various executing agencies. The maintenance works on NHs are accordingly taken up from time to time to keep the NHs in traffic worthy condition. The M&R of stretches of NHs, where development works have commenced or Operation, Maintenance and Transfer (OMT) Concessions/  Operation  and  Maintenance  (O&M)  Contracts  have been awarded, are the responsibility of the concerned Concessionaires/  Contractors  till  the  end  of  the  Defect  Liability Period  (DLP)/  the  Concession  Period.  Similarly,  for  NHs  stretches undertaken  under  TOT  (Toll Operate  and  Transfer) and  InvIT (Infrastructure Investment  Trust), M&R  responsibility lies with concerned Concessionaire till the end of the Concession Period. No separate maintenance expenditure is recorded in respect of these NHs stretches. For  all  remaining  sections  of  NHs  stretches,  the  Government has prioritized the maintenance and inter-alia evolved a mechanism to ensure M&R of all NHs sections through accountable maintenance agency through Performance based Maintenance Contract  (PBMC)  or  Short  Term  Maintenance  Contract  (STMC). MoRTH has incurred expenditure of ₹ 6,523 Crore towards maintenance on such stretches during last year. Since accounting of separate maintenance expenditure is not done  for  a  large  section  of  NHs  as  above,  therefore  expenditure incurred  on  entire  NH  network  merely  based  on  the  expenditure incurred on maintenance contracts does not provide a true picture of expenditure on maintenance of entire NH network in the country.

- (d) No  specific  study  has  been  taken  up  to  establish  a  direct connection between the lack of infrastructure improvement on older NHs  and  the  increasing  number  of  road  accidents  in  the  country. However, the analysis of road accident data from the States / Union Territories  (UTs)  reveals  that  road  accidents  are  multi-causal  and are the result of interplay of various factors which can broadly be categorized into human  error, road condition/environment and vehicular condition.

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