Lok Sabha Question No. 369 (STARRED), answered on 2016-08-11
Subject: Corruption in Maintenance of NHs
Ministry: ROAD TRANSPORT AND HIGHWAYS
Asked by: BHARTRUHARI MAHTAB, SANJAY SHAMRAO DHOTRE

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF ROAD TRANSPORT & HIGHWAYS

## LOK SABHA

## STARRED QUESTION No. 369 ANSWERED ON 11 TH  AUGUST, 2016

## CORRUPTION IN MAINTENANCE OF NHS

*369.   SHRI BHARTRUHARI MAHTAB: SHRI SANJAY DHOTRE:

## Will the Minister of ROAD TRANSPORT AND HIGHWAYS सड़क परिवहन औि िाजमार्ग मंत्री

be pleased to state:

- (a) whether the established criteria/ norms have been followed by the Government in declaring the Roads/ Highways as National Highways (NHs) and if so, the details thereof;

(b) whether the Government has received requests from various States for upgradation of State Roads/Highways as National Highways during the last three years and if so, the details thereof along with the action taken/being taken by the Government on such requests so far, State/ UTwise;

- (c)  whether  cases  of  irregularities/  corruption  in  maintenance  of  such  NHs  have  come  to  the notice of the Government during the said period; and
- (d)  if  so,  the  details  thereof,  State/UT-wise  and  NH-wise  along  with  the  remedial  measures taken/being taken by the Government in this regard?

## ANSWER

## THE MINISTER OF ROAD TRANSPORT AND HIGHWAYS

(SHRI NITIN JAIRAM GADKARI)

(a) to (d) A Statement is laid on the Table of the House.

STATEMENT REFERRED  TO  IN  REPLY  TO  PARTS  (a)  TO  (d)  OF  LOK  SABHA STARRED  QUESTION  NO.  369  ANSWERED  ON  11.08.2016  ASKED  BY  SHRI BHARTRUHARI MAHTAB AND SHRI SANJAY DHOTRE REGARDING CORRUPTION IN MAINTENANCE OF NHS

(a) State roads are declared as new National Highways (NHs) from time to time on the basis of well established principles; the criteria for State roads for declaration as new NHs include roads running through length / breadth of the country, connecting adjacent countries, National Capitals with State Capitals / mutually  the State Capitals, major ports, non-major ports,  large  industrial  centers  or  tourist  centers,  roads  meeting  very  important  strategic requirement in hilly and isolated area, arterial roads which enable sizeable reduction in travel distance and achieve substantial economic growth thereby, roads which help opening up large tracts of backward area and hilly regions (other than strategically important ones), achieving a National Highways grid of 100 km, etc.

(b) The Ministry keeps on receiving proposals for declaration of State roads as new NHs from  various  State  Governments  which  are  examined  keeping  in  view  the  requirement  of connectivity,  inter-se-priority  and  availability  of  funds.  The  Ministry  has  declared  about 20,486 km length of State roads/routes as new NHs in the country during the last three years and the current year. The State/UT-wise details of such new NHs is annexed .

Further,  the  Ministry  has  approved  'In-Principle'  declaration  of  about  42,835  km length  of  State  roads  as  new  NHs  subject  to  outcome  of  their  Detailed  Project  Reports (DPRs).

(c) and (d) No cases of irregularities / corruption in maintenance works on NHs, including such works on newly declared NHs, have been reported during the last three years and the current  year.  However,  whenever  any  complaints  of  irregularities/  corruption  in  works  on NHs come to the notice of the Government, detailed investigations are  carried out in such cases and disciplinary actions are taken up in accordance with Central Vigilance Commission guidelines; further, necessary actions are also taken up towards execution of rectifications / corrective works as per the provisions of the Contract / Concession Agreements.

Various  initiatives  taken  towards  prevention  of  corruption  and  bringing  in  more transparency  and  accountability  in  highway  sector  include  adoption  of  Integrity  Pact, engagement of National Level Project Monitors (NLPMs), etc.

ANNEXURE REFERRED TO  IN  REPLY  TO  PART  (b)  OF  LOK  SABHA  STARRED QUESTION NO. 369 ANSWERED ON 11.08.2016 ASKED BY SHRI BHARTRUHARI MAHTAB AND SHRI SANJAY DHOTRE REGARDING CORRUPTION IN MAINTENANCE OF NHS

The State/UT-wise details of new NHs declared in the country during the last three years and the current year is as follows:-

(Length in km)

| Sl. No.   | State/UT            | 2013-14   | 2014-15   | 2015-16   | 2016-17   |
|-----------|---------------------|-----------|-----------|-----------|-----------|
| 1.        | Andhra Pradesh      | 289       | 80        | 676       |           |
| 2.        | Arunachal Pradesh   |           | 733       |           |           |
| 3.        | Assam               | 605       | 76        | 9         | 24        |
| 4.        | Bihar               | 299       | 152       | 160       |           |
| 5.        | Chhattisgarh        | 742       |           |           | 90        |
| 6.        | Gujarat             | 115       | 978       |           | 46        |
| 7.        | Haryana             | 417       | 185       | 395       |           |
| 8.        | Himachal Pradesh    | 690       | 70        | 176       |           |
| 9.        | Jammu &Kashmir      | 624       | 274       | 8         |           |
| 10.       | Jharkhand           | 594       | 11        |           |           |
| 11.       | Karnataka           | 1,535     | 138       | 70        |           |
| 12.       | Kerala              | 243       |           |           |           |
| 13.       | Madhya Pradesh      |           |           | 9         | 2,369     |
| 14.       | Maharashtra         | 740       | 734       | 387       | 36        |
| 15.       | Manipur             | 135       | 257       |           |           |
| 16.       | Mizoram             | 195       | 245       |           |           |
| 17.       | Nagaland            | 247       | 194       |           | 22.7      |
| 18.       | Orissa              | 134       |           | 193       |           |
| 19.       | Punjab              | 142       | 233       | 530       |           |
| 20.       | Rajasthan           | 466       | 80        | 20        |           |
| 21.       | Sikkim              |           | 170       | 154       |           |
| 22.       | Tamil Nadu          | 32        |           |           |           |
| 23.       | Tripura             | 109       |           | 228       | 1.2       |
| 24.       | Telangana           |           |           | 119       |           |
| 25.       | Uttarakhand         | 240       | 432       |           |           |
| 26.       | Uttar Pradesh       | 168       | 620       |           | 14        |
| 27.       | West Bengal         | 227       |           | 46        |           |
| 28.       | Dadar &Nagar Haveli | 31        |           |           |           |
| 29.       | Daman &Diu          | 22        |           |           |           |
|           | Total               | 9,041     | 5,662     | 3,180     | 2,602.9   |

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