Jagran Bureau, New Delhi | Union Road Transport and Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari, who is always vocal about the quality of highway construction, has once again questioned the working style of his own ministry and the officials of the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI).

Gadkari said in the current system, officials can decide the technical and financial eligibility for tenders as per their wish; hence, there is a need to make a permanent policy.

Gadkari Holds NHAI Responsible, Takes Olympic Jibe

The Union Minister stated unequivocally that private contractors determine technical and financial eligibility, as their relationships are very cordial. They are Olympic-level players in the game of writing down who qualifies and who disqualifies.

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Since Gadkari repeatedly mentioned NHAI tenders, it is believed that the minister was alluding to collusion between NHAI and contractors. However, he did not specify who would make the policies. He is the government, and he is the minister.

The Union Road Transport Minister made the statement while addressing at the Tunnel and Bridge Conference organised by FICCI on Wednesday. The Union Minister said, "It's unfortunate that the policy makers aren't here. They should be called, because those working in the government think they know everything."

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Citing the example of a project in Maharashtra, he said the contractor took the tender at a rate significantly lower than the stated bid price and then subcontracted it at a lower price. He called for action against the contractor, but the minister described the fact that subcontracts are being awarded in multiple layers as a major problem.

Gadkari Vows Probe Against Errant Officials

He said he was going to issue an order to investigate, based on GST records, the number of subcontracts awarded by a contractor in a tender, as there are rules for this. Contractors subcontract, and if the quality is poor, they are often discredited.

Once again, Gadkari, citing poor DPRs as a major problem, said that DPRs are created from home using Google. This is leading to road accidents and losses for the country.

The Union Minister said that he wanted a rule for DPRs that only those DPR consultants with a 51 per cent stake in international companies should be given the work, but our people here have made it flexible. They are also under scrutiny and will not be spared, he added.

Gadkari claimed that he was going to establish a system to audit the performance of contractors and DPR consultants, and that their ratings would determine whether they would be eligible to receive future tenders.