Three small sections in Gujarat, totaling just 87 km and assigned to a Pune contractor, have significantly delayed the extensive 1,386-km Delhi-Mumbai Expressway project, which is being constructed at a cost
of Rs 1.04 lakh crore.
The Pune-based contractor, Roadway Solutions India Infra Ltd (RSIIL), was initially awarded all three sections in 2021. Two of these sections were cancelled in March 2023 due to delays, but they were re-awarded to the same company in November 2023 after it submitted the lowest bid, reported the Indian Express.
Nearly four years later, less than 20 per cent of the 87 km has been completed, raising concerns within the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways. Frustrated by the slow progress, the NHAI is now considering issuing notices to RSIIL, which may lead to the termination of the contract.
According to the Indian Express, Navjeet Gadhoke, Director of RSIIL, attributed the delay to the “non-provision of land by NHAI”. However, NHAI officials blamed RSIIL’s non-performance and contractual disputes for the slow work.
The Expressway, which passes through Delhi, Haryana, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat, and Maharashtra, is divided into 53 packages.
The three packages—numbers 8 (Jujuwa-Gandeva), 9 (Karvad-Jujuwa), and 10 (Talsari-Karvad) in the Vadodara-Virar section in Gujarat—were awarded to RSIIL in May, July, and March of 2021, respectively. Work has barely progressed in these sections, even as the rest of the Expressway in Gujarat is nearly complete.
NHAI first cancelled the contracts for Jujuwa-Gandeva and Karvad-Jujuwa in March 2023 due to delays and issued a new tender. RSIIL participated in the tender again and secured the contract in November 2023 with the lowest bid.
A MoRTH official said RSIIL should not have gotten the contract the second time. When asked this question, a senior NHAI official said, “We cannot stop them from participating in the tender.”
RSIIL contended that the termination of the two packages was “illegal.” “After rebidding the same works again, NHAI had no option but to give these to RSIIL as there was no default by the contractor,” Gadhoke was quoted by Indian Express.
NHAI officials mentioned that when there are continuous delays by a contractor, the authority can issue a “cure period” notice before taking severe actions such as debarment or blacklisting. A ‘cure period’ refers to a specific time given to a contractor to rectify breaches before a termination notice can be served.
Once completed, the Delhi-Mumbai Expressway is expected to reduce the distance from Delhi to Jawaharlal Nehru Port in Mumbai by 180 km and cut travel time by up to 50 per cent to connected destinations. Out of the total Rs 1,03,636 crore project cost, Rs 71,718 crore has been spent so far. Some sections of the Delhi-Mumbai Expressway, such as Delhi-Lalsot, and certain sections in Gujarat and Rajasthan, are already operational.
