**Executive Summary**
The Ministry of Road Transport and Highways addresses concerns regarding road quality standards and their impact on road accidents in Lok Sabha Unstarred Question No. 1929, answered on December 11th, 2025. The Ministry asserts its responsibility for National Highway (NH) development and maintenance, ensuring adherence to quality standards set by the Indian Roads Congress (IRC). To improve quality control, various initiatives have been undertaken including the adoption of new technologies, monitoring systems, and third-party audits. Penalties are in place for non-compliance, including fines for cases resulting in death or disability.
**Key Points / Main Content**
* **Responsibility for National Highways:** The Government in the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways is responsible for developing and maintaining National Highways (NHs).
* **Quality Assurance:** Efforts are made to construct NHs as per quality standards stipulated by the Indian Roads Congress (IRC).
* **Stakeholder Inspections:** Officials of all stakeholders, including State Governments and Union Territories, undertake inspections to ensure conformity to quality standards by concessionaires and contractors.
* **Accident Causation:** Road accidents are a multi-causal phenomenon resulting from factors such as human error, road condition/environment, and vehicular condition.
* **Accident Data:** The number of accidents due to substandard road quality is not reported; however, pothole-related accidents account for 5,840 out of 480,583 total accidents nationwide in 2023.
* **Quality Control Initiatives:**
* Policy for Adoption of Automated & Intelligent /Machine-aided Construction (AI-MC) in NH projects issued.
* Mandatory road condition assessments through Network Survey Vehicle (NSV) for all NHs and Expressway works at completion and every six months, monitored electronically and revamped for enforcement during Operation and Maintenance (O&M).
* A centralized system, NHAI One App, monitors and facilitates rectification of highway defects using geo-tagging and photographs.
* Analysis of high-resolution imagery from Drone Analytics Monitoring System (DAMS) integrated with Artificial Intelligence/ Machine Learning algorithms.
* Deployment of Mobile Quality Control Vans (MQCVs) equipped with Non-Destructive Testing Equipment on a pilot basis in four states.
* Deployment of Third Party Quality Auditors for independent quality audits of NH works.
* **Actions Against Defaulting Agencies:**
* Actions are taken against defaulting agencies as per contract provisions.
* Penalties and liquidated damages are levied on contractors for damages and substandard works, in addition to debarment or blacklisting.
* Under the Motor Vehicles Act, 1988, designated authorities, contractors, consultants, or concessionaires are liable for fines up to one lakh rupees for failure to comply with standards resulting in death or disability, payable to the Motor Vehicle Accident Fund.
**Impact Analysis**
**Ministry of Road Transport and Highways**
* **Impact:** The Ministry is responsible for ensuring the development, maintenance, and quality of National Highways.
* **Action Required:** Continue implementing quality control initiatives, monitor contractor performance, and enforce penalties for non-compliance with quality standards.
**State Governments/Union Territories**
* **Impact:** Responsible for participating in inspections and ensuring adherence to quality standards within their jurisdiction.
* **Action Required:** Conduct regular inspections of highway construction and maintenance work, report any deficiencies, and collaborate with the Ministry to ensure compliance with quality standards.
**Road Construction Companies/Contractors/Concessionaires**
* **Impact:** Responsible for adhering to quality standards, participating in audits, and bearing potential penalties for non-compliance.
* **Action Required:** Implement quality control measures, adhere to stipulated standards for road design, construction, and maintenance, and address any defects identified during inspections or audits.
**Citizens/Road Users**
* **Impact:** Benefit from improved road safety and reduced accident risks due to better quality roads.
* **Action Required:** No direct action required.
Key Entities Referenced
Ministry of Road Transport and Highways: The primary ministry responsible for development and maintenance of National Highways (NHs), and the entity answering the parliamentary question.
National Highways (NHs): Roads developed and maintained by Ministry of Road Transport and Highways.
Motor Vehicles Act, 1988: Law referenced, specifically Section 198A, concerning responsibility and penalties for substandard road design/construction leading to death/disability.
Road Accidents in India: Report published by the Government, data is received from various states and UTs.
NHAI One App: Centralized system for Monitoring and rectification of highway defects.
GOVERNMENT OF INDIA
MINISTRY OF ROAD TRANSPORT AND HIGHWAYS
LOK SABHA
UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 1929
ANSWERED ON 11th DECEMBER, 2025
QUALITY OF ROAD CONSTRUCTION GUIDELINES
1929. SHRI ANIL YASHWANT DESAI:
Will the Minister of ROAD TRANSPORT AND HIGHWAYS
सड़क परिवहन औि िाजमार्ग मंत्री
be pleased to state:
(a) whether the quality of roads constructed in various States is far
below the required standards resulting in road accidents, if so, the
details thereof;
(b) whether the Union Government has issued any guidelines to the
States to ensure construction of good quality roads in the States, if so,
the details thereof;
(c) whether the Union Government will impose accountability on road
construction companies apart from blacklisting, such as recovery of
cost or compensation for damage to victims of road accidents and if
so, the details thereof; and
(d) if not, the reasons therefor?
ANSWER
THE MINISTER OF ROAD TRANSPORT AND HIGHWAYS
(SHRI NITIN JAIRAM GADKARI)
(a) to (d) The Government in Ministry of Road Transport and
Highways is primarily responsible for development and maintenance of
National Highways (NHs). All efforts are made to ensure that the NHs
are constructed as per quality standards stipulated in the IndianRoads Congress (IRC) specifications and codes. To ensure that
highway construction adheres to stipulated quality standards,
Consultants (Authority’s Engineer/ Independent Engineers- AE/IE) are
appointed by the executing agencies for day-to-day supervision
of works at site. Officials of all stakeholders including State
Governments/ Union Territories undertake inspections from time to
time and ensure adherence of conformity of quality of the work done
by the Concessionaire/ Contractors.
As per the report on “Road Accidents in India” published by the
Government for the year 2023 based on data received from States/
UTs, road accidents are multi-causal phenomenon and are the result of
interplay of various factors. These can broadly be categorized into (i)
human error, (ii) road condition/environment and (iii) vehicular
condition. The number of accidents due to sub-standard quality of
roads is not reported in the report. However, the number of accidents
on all categories of roads (including NHs) on account of potholes are
reported to be 5,840 out of the total number of 4,80,583 accidents all
over the country.
The Government has taken the following initiatives for
improvement of quality control systems in implementation of NHs
works: -: -
i. Policy for Adoption of Automated & Intelligent /Machine-aided
Construction (AI-MC) in NH projects issued;
ii. Assessments of road conditions through Network Survey Vehicle
(NSV) mandated for all NHs and Expressway works at the time of
completion and every six months thereafter, which is monitored
through electronic platform. NSV system for road condition
assessment has further been revamped using analytics for
enforcement of contractual provisions during Operation and
Maintenance (O&M) through dedicated central cell;
iii. Operationalization of a centralized system called NHAI One App
for Monitoring and rectification of highway defects which
enables geo-tagging of defects along with photographs;iv. Analysis of High-Resolution Imagery collected from Drone
Surveys in Drone Analytics Monitoring System (DAMS) integrated
with Artificial Intelligence/ Machine Learning algorithms for
periodic evaluation of progress and quality of ongoing NHs works
from time to time;
v. Deployment of Mobile Quality Control Vans (MQCVs) equipped
with Non-Destructive Testing Equipment on pilot basis in four
States, namely in Gujarat, Rajasthan, Odisha and Karnataka, for
diagnostic assessments of overall health and quality of works
from time to time during project implementation phases.
Decision has been taken to diversify this initiative in some more
States;
vi. Deployment of Third Party Quality Auditors for independent
quality audits of NH works on a case-to-case basis.
Actions against defaulting agencies are taken as per the
provisions of the Contract/ Concession agreement in case of any
defaults. In addition to debarment/ blacklisting of defaulting agencies,
penalties/ liquidated damages are also levied on Contractor for
damages/ sub-standard works. Sub-section (1) of Section 198A of the
Motor Vehicles Act, 1988 provides for any designated authority,
contractor, consultant or concessionaire responsible for the design or
construction or maintenance of the safety standards of the road to
follow such design, construction and maintenance standards, as may
be prescribed by the Government from time to time. In case of failure
to comply with stipulated standards for road design, construction and
maintenance which results in death or disability, the designated
authority, contractor, consultant or concessionaire responsible is
levied a fine up to one lakh rupees payable to the Motor Vehicle
Accident Fund constituted under section 164B of the Act.
*****