**Executive Summary**
This document is an answer given in Lok Sabha on December 4th, 2025, regarding the assessment and outcomes for highway expansion projects in India. The government has directed highway agencies to prepare detailed reports on the impact and outcomes of highway expansion projects, including those under the Bharatmala Pariyojana. Implementing agencies have been asked to compute and compile various data for evaluation of the outcome parameters at the end of the financial year, with evaluations done after the end of financial year 2025-26.
**Key Points / Main Content**
* **Government Directive:**
* The Government has directed highway agencies (NHAI, NHIDCL, BRO, etc.) to prepare detailed reports on impact assessment and outcomes for highway expansion projects.
* This includes projects under the Bharatmala Pariyojana to map socio-economic benefits.
* **Objectives of the Initiative:**
* To assess the impact of national highway development on economics, logistics, social parameters, and the environment.
* To assess the impact on road safety and road user experience.
* **Reporting and Evaluation:**
* Implementing agencies must compute and compile data for outcome parameter evaluation at the end of the financial year.
* Data for the outcome framework must be submitted and evaluated for one year at a time.
* The framework was issued on June 5th, 2025.
* Evaluation will be done after the end of the financial year 2025-26.
* **Outcome Parameters:**
* The annexure lists metrics for measuring impact at the project/program level across several areas.
* **Economic Impact:** Economic Nodes Connectivity, Access to large market/ Mandis, Increase in GDP, Increase in consumer spending.
* **Logistics Impact:** Distance Reduction, Time Reduction, Logistics Cost Reduction %, Access to Airport/Major Railway Station.
* **Social Impact:** Social Nodes Connectivity, Access to Higher Education/Health Service.
* **Environmental Impact:** Fuel Efficiency, Reduction in CO2 emissions.
* **Road Safety & User Experience:** No. of Accidents, Riding Quality, User Comfort.
* **Other Parameters:** Household Income, Access to Employment.
**Impact Analysis**
**Highway Agencies (NHAI, NHIDCL, BRO, etc.)**
* **Impact:** Required to prepare detailed reports on the impact assessment and outcomes for highway expansion projects.
* **Action Required:** Need to compute and compile data for evaluation of the outcome parameters and submit the same at the end of the financial year.
**Implementing Agencies**
* **Impact:** Accountable for computing and compiling data related to outcome parameters.
* **Action Required:** Evaluate and submit the outcome framework one year at a time after the end of the financial year.
**Citizens**
* **Impact**: The goal is to improve road safety and road user experience.
* **Action Required:** No direct action but should expect better services with improved highways.
Key Entities Referenced
Bharatmala Pariyojana: A highway expansion project initiative by the government to map socio-economic benefits and assess the impact of highway development.
Ministry of Road Transport and Highways: The primary ministry responsible for highway development and related assessments.
National Highways Authority of India (NHAI): A highway agency directed to prepare impact assessment reports for highway expansion projects.
National Highways and Infrastructure Development Corporation Limited (NHIDCL): A highway agency directed to prepare impact assessment reports for highway expansion projects.
Border Roads Organisation (BRO): A highway agency directed to prepare impact assessment reports for highway expansion projects.
GOVERNMENT OF INDIA
MINISTRY OF ROAD TRANSPORT AND HIGHWAYS
LOK SABHA
UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 876
ANSWERED ON 4TH DECEMBER, 2025
ASSESSMENT AND OUTCOMES FOR HIGHWAY EXPANSION PROJECTS
876. SHRI SUDHEER GUPTA:
SHRI CHAVAN RAVINDRA VASANTRAO:
SHRI DHAIRYASHEEL SAMBHAJIRAO MANE:
Will the Minister of ROAD TRANSPORT AND HIGHWAYS
सड़क परिवहन औि िाजमार्ग मंत्री
be pleased to state:
(a) whether the Government has directed highway agencies such as the
National Highways Authority of India (NHAI), the National Highways and
Infrastructure Development Corporation Limited (NHIDCL), the Border Roads
Organisation (BRO) and others to prepare detailed reports of impact
assessment and outcomes for highway expansion projects including stretches
under the Bharatmala Pariyojana to map measurable socio-economic benefits,
if so, the details thereof;
(b) the details of all the metrics included for study and the outcome report to
be prepared by the highway development agencies;
(c) the aims and objectives of introducing the said initiative by the
Government;
(d) whether the Government has set any timeline for submission of the said
report by various highway agencies, if so, the details thereof; and
(e) the details of the time by which the said detailed report is likely to be
submitted by these agencies to the Government?
ANSWER
THE MINISTER OF ROAD TRANSPORT AND HIGHWAYS
(SHRI NITIN JAIRAM GADKARI)(a) and (b) Yes Sir. Government has issued a mechanism for monitoring the
outcome parameters of all capacity augmentation projects including
Bharatmala Pariyojana. The details are annexed.
(c) The objective of measurement of outcome parameters is to assess
impact of national highway development on economics, logistics, and social
parameters and its impact on the environment. It also aims to assess impact
on Road safety and Road user experience.
(d) and (e) Implementing agencies have been asked to compute and compile
various data for evaluation of the outcome parameters at the end of the
financial year. Data for the outcome framework is to be submitted and
evaluated for one year at a time after the end of the financial year. The
framework has been issued on 05.06.2025 and the evaluation will be done after
the end of financial year 2025-26.ANNEXURE
ANNEXURE REFERRED TO IN REPLY TO PART (a) TO (b) OF LOK SABHA
UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 876 ANSWERED ON 4RD DECEMBER, 2025 ASKED
BY SHRI SUDHEER GUPTA, SHRI CHAVAN RAVINDRA VASANTRAO AND SHRI
DHAIRYASHEEL SAMBHAJIRAO MANE REGARDING „ASSESSMENT AND
OUTCOMES FOR HIGHWAY EXPANSION PROJECTS‟.
Outcome parameters to measure the impact areas at Project/Programme level
are as under:
Sr. Impact Metric
Parameter Definition
No. Area level
Number of economic nodes Project /
Economic Nodes
1 connected within 25 kms of the Program
Connectivity
project level
Reduction in time to reach large
Access to large market/ Mandis by population Program
2
Economic market/ Mandis within 10 km of the highways level
Impact within the program
Program
3 Increase in GDP Increase in District GDP
level
Increase in sales of vehicles
Increase in Program
4 (2W/4W) and increase in sales of
consumer spending level
white goods
Reduction in travel distance Project /
5 Distance Reduction between start and end points Program
after construction of highway level
Reduction in travel time Project /
6 Time Reduction between start and end points Program
after construction of highway level
Logistics Impact
Logistics Cost Reduction in logistics cost, as a Program
7
Reduction % share of India‟s GDP level
Reduction in time to reach
Access to
Airport/Railway Station by Program
8 Airport/Major
population within 10 km of the level
Railway Station
highways within the program
Number of social nodes (Tribal,
Project /
Social Nodes Aspirational and LWE affected
9 Program
Connectivity districts) connected within 25
level
Social Impact kms of the project
Access to Higher Reduction in time to reach
Program
10 Education/Health college / hospital by population
level
Service within 10 km of the highwayswithin the program
Increase in district household Program
11 Household Income
income level
Reduction in time to reach
Access to workplace from house by Program
12
Employment population within 10 km of the level
highways within the program
Reduction in fuel consumption Project /
13 Fuel Efficiency due to distance reduction and Program
improved road quality level
Environmental
Reduction in CO2 emissions due
Impact Project /
Reduction in CO2 to the reduction in fuel
14 Program
emissions consumption after construction
level
of highway
Increase/decrease in number of Project /
15 No. of Accidents accidents post construction of Program
highway level
“Good” if Roughness Index
Project /
Road Safety & within limit and “Needs
16 Riding Quality Program
User Experience Maintenance” if out of limit
level
bounds
User experience due to
Program
17 User Comfort improved riding quality and
level
facilities
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