**Executive Summary**
This document is a response from the Minister of Road Transport and Highways to questions raised in Lok Sabha regarding the status of National Highway (NH) projects. It addresses delays in project completion since April 1, 2014, reasons for these delays, their impact on project costs, loans taken by NHAI since 2015, and the status of NHs in specific districts of Uttar Pradesh. The document also includes the state-wise details of under-construction National Highway (NH) projects started since 1st April 2014 and that spilled beyond their original completion schedule and the year-wise details of Internal and Extra Budgetary Resources (IEBR) raised by National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) since 2015-16.
**Key Points / Main Content**
* **NH Project Delays:**
* As of February 5, 2026, 653 NH projects that began after April 1, 2014, are behind schedule.
* State/UT-wise details of these delayed projects are included in Annexure-I.
* **Reasons for Delays:**
* The main reasons for delays include: Land acquisition issues, statutory clearances and permissions, utility shifting, encroachment removal, law and order problems, contractor financial issues/poor performance, and force majeure events.
* **Cost Escalation:**
* Cost escalation is not automatically incurred for all delayed projects.
* If the delay is not the contractor's fault, price escalation is paid per contract terms, with the final cost dependent on the project's actual completion and final bill settlement.
* If the delay is due to the contractor, damages are imposed, and there is no additional cost due to delay.
* **NHAI Funding:**
* Year-wise details of Internal and Extra Budgetary Resources (IEBR) raised by NHAI from 2015-16 onward are provided in Annexure-II.
* IEBR has been discontinued from FY 2023-24.
* **Uttar Pradesh NH Projects:**
* Nine NH projects are under construction in Bareilly, Budaun, Shahjahanpur, and Ambedkar Nagar districts.
* These projects are targeted for completion in phases by FY 2027-28.
**Impact Analysis**
**National Highways Authority of India (NHAI)**
* **Impact:** Is responsible for managing and financing NH projects; needs to address reasons for project delays and ensure timely completion. Also had to respond to the discontinuation of IEBR from FY 2023-24.
* **Action Required:** Improve project management, address delay factors, manage funds effectively, and monitor project costs.
**Contractors/Concessionaires**
* **Impact:** Subject to potential penalties for delays attributable to them.
* **Action Required:** Improve project execution, manage finances to avoid delays, address performance issues, and mitigate risks.
**Citizens/Commuters/General Public**
* **Impact:** Will experience delays in accessing improved NH infrastructure.
* **Action Required:** None.
**Government of India**
* **Impact:** Has to handle public accountability related to project completion and efficient use of public funds, and needs to provide solutions to minimize delays.
* **Action Required:** Monitor project progress, address systemic issues causing delays, and ensure effective funding mechanisms.
Key Entities Referenced
National Highway (NH): The type of projects discussed in the context of delays and completion status.
National Highways Authority of India (NHAI): The agency responsible for the development, maintenance and management of National Highways in India, and taking loans for project finance.
Ministry of Road Transport and Highways: The government ministry answering the question related to the completion of NH projects.
Lok Sabha: The house where the unstarred question was raised regarding the status of NH projects.
Uttar Pradesh: State where specific NH projects are passing through some districts.
GOVERNMENT OF INDIA
MINISTRY OF ROAD TRANSPORT AND HIGHWAYS
LOK SABHA
UNSTARRED QUESTION NO - 1084
ANSWERED ON 05TH FEBRUARY 2026
STATUS OF COMPLETION OF NH PROJECTS
1084. SHRI NEERAJ MAURYA:
SHRI LALJI VERMA
Will the Minister of ROAD TRANSPORT AND HIGHWAYS
सड़क परिवहन औि िाजमार्ग मंत्री
be pleased to state:
(a) the number of National Highway (NH) projects that have not been
completed within the stipulated time since 2014, State-wise;
(b) the reasons for serious delays in NH and other related projects in
the country;
(c) whether such delays have resulted in any increase in project cost
and if so, the details thereof;
(d) the amount of loans taken by the National Highways Authority of
India (NHAI) for various projects from 2015 to till date, year-wise; and
(e) the details of the proposed NHs passing through Ambedkar Nagar,
Bareilly, Budaun and Shahjahanpur districts and the time by which the
construction of the said highways are likely to be completed?
ANSWER
THE MINISTER OF ROAD TRANSPORT AND HIGHWAYS
(SHRI NITIN JAIRAM GADKARI)(a) From amongst all the National Highway (NH) projects started since
1st April 2014, there are 653 under construction projects that have
spilled beyond their original completion schedule, without attaining any
of the various stages of project completion and excluding projects
under consideration for termination/ foreclosure. The State/UT-wise
details are at Annexure-I.
(b) The primary reasons for delay in NH projects are issues /
bottlenecks relating to land acquisition, statutory clearances /
permissions, utility shifting, encroachment removal, law & order,
financial crunch of Concessionaire / Contractor, poor performance of
Contractor / Concessionaire, and Force Majeure events like Covid-19
pandemic, heavy rainfall, floods, cyclone, landslides/avalanches, etc.
(c) Cost escalation is not incurred in all delayed projects. If delay is not
attributable to the Contractor, price escalation is paid as per contract
conditions, which may or may not result in additional cost, depending
upon final value of price escalation determined on actual completion of
project and final settlement of bills. If delay is attributable to the
Contractor, damages are imposed and there is no additional cost due to
delay.
(d) The year - wise details of Internal and Extra Budgetary Resources
(IEBR) raised by National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) since
2015-16 onwards are at Annexure-II.
(e) There are 9 under construction NH projects passing through Bareilly,
Budaun, Shahjahanpur and Ambedkar Nagar districts of Uttar Pradesh.
All these projects are targeted to be completed by FY 2027-28 in
phased manner.ANNEXURE-I
ANNEXURE REFERRED TO IN REPLY TO PART (a) OF LOK SABHA
UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 1084 ANSWERED ON 05.02.2026 ASKED BY
SHRI NEERAJ MAURYA AND SHRI LALJI VERMA REGARDING STATUS
OF COMPLETION OF NH PROJECTS
The State/UT wise details of under construction National Highway (NH)
projects started since 1st April 2014 that spilled beyond their original
completion schedule without attaining any of the various stages of
project completion and excluding projects under consideration for
termination/ foreclosure
S. No. State/UT No. of Projects
1 Andhra Pradesh 37
2 Arunachal Pradesh 8
3 Assam 24
4 Bihar 34
5 Chhattisgarh 14
6 Goa 7
7 Gujarat 18
8 Haryana 11
9 Himachal Pradesh 14
10 Jharkhand 20
11 Karnataka 46
12 Kerala 14
13 Madhya Pradesh 28
14 Maharashtra 68
15 Manipur 23
16 Meghalaya 4
17 Mizoram 4
18 Nagaland 12
19 Odisha 29
20 Punjab 20
21 Rajasthan 17
22 Sikkim 9
23 Tamil Nadu 23S. No. State/UT No. of Projects
24 Telangana 27
25 Tripura 5
26 Uttar Pradesh 50
27 Uttarakhand 30
28 West Bengal 15
29 Union Territories (UT's) 42
Grand Total 653ANNEXURE-II
ANNEXURE REFERRED TO IN REPLY TO PART (d) OF LOK SABHA
UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 1084 ANSWERED ON 05.02.2026 ASKED BY
SHRI NEERAJ MAURYA AND SHRI LALJI VERMA REGARDING STATUS
OF COMPLETION OF NH PROJECTS
Year-wise details of Internal and Extra Budgetary Resources (IEBR)
raised by National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) since 2015-16
onwards
Year IEBR (Rs. in crores)
2015-16 23,281
2016-17 33,118
2017-18 50,533
2018-19 61,217
2019-20 74,988
2020-21 65,036
2021-22 65,150
2022-23 798
2023-24 0
2024-25 0
2025-26
0
(upto December, 2025)
Note: IEBR has been discontinued from FY 2023-24
*****