Accountability at Scale: Delhi-Mumbai Expressway Under Scrutiny

Union Minister Nitin Gadkari has announced that four contractors will face strict action due to deficiencies detected in the construction of the Delhi-Mumbai Expressway. Experts from IIT Kharagpur and Gandhinagar uncovered these issues. Contractors are to be blacklisted, and officials may also face consequences.

Union Minister Nitin Gadkari revealed on Thursday that four contractors have been held accountable for construction flaws identified in the Delhi-Mumbai Expressway. Authorities plan to enforce strict measures against them.

Following an evaluation by experts from IIT Kharagpur and Gandhinagar, notable deficiencies were found in the expressway's structure, prompting the government to issue notices to the involved contractors and consider blacklisting them.

Blacklisting and further actions may extend to involved officials as Gadkari emphasized that immediate steps would be taken. The Delhi-Mumbai Expressway, the nation's longest, has already significantly reduced travel time despite being completed rapidly at a cost of Rs 1 lakh crore. The minister lauded the expressway for cutting the journey distance by 200 km and travel time to 12 hours.

(With inputs from agencies.)