A critical national infrastructure project, the Rs 1.04 lakh crore Delhi-Mumbai Expressway, is facing significant hurdles due to delays on just three small stretches in Gujarat, totalling a mere 87 kilometres. Awarded to Pune-based contractor Roadway Solutions India Infra Ltd (RSIIL), these sections have seen less than 20% completion in nearly four years, causing major concerns within the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH).
Contract Scrapped and Re-awarded to Same Firm
The saga involves three packages on the Vadodara-Virar section in Gujarat: package 8 (Jujuwa-Gandeva), package 9 (Karvad-Jujuwa), and package 10 (Talsari-Karvad). RSIIL was awarded these contracts in May, July, and March of 2021, respectively. Due to prolonged delays, the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) scrapped the contracts for packages 8 and 9 in March 2023.
In a surprising turn, when NHAI issued a fresh tender for these works, RSIIL participated again and emerged as the lowest bidder (L1). Consequently, the authority re-awarded the contracts for the same two stretches to RSIIL in November 2023. An MoRTH official expressed dismay that the company was awarded the contract a second time.
A Blame Game Over Delays
The reasons for the standstill are contested. Navjeet Gadhoke, Director of RSIIL, attributed the delay to the "non-provision of land by NHAI." Conversely, NHAI officials squarely blamed "non-performance by RSIIL" along with contractual disputes and ongoing litigations for crippling the project's pace.
RSIIL has defended its position, calling the initial termination of the two packages "illegal." Gadhoke stated that after rebidding, "NHAI had no option but to give these to RSIIL as there was no default by the contractor."
NHAI Considers Stern Action
Frustrated with the glacial progress, where the rest of the expressway in Gujarat is nearly ready, NHAI is now considering issuing formal notices to RSIIL. This could escalate to the termination of the contract. Officials mentioned that in such cases, the authority can issue a "cure period" notice, giving the contractor a specific timeframe to rectify breaches before more severe actions like debarment or blacklisting are taken.
Impact on the Mega Expressway Project
The 1,386-km Delhi-Mumbai Expressway is one of India's most ambitious infrastructure undertakings, passing through six states: Delhi, Haryana, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat, and Maharashtra. It is divided into 53 packages. Upon completion, it is expected to reduce the distance from Delhi to Mumbai's Jawaharlal Nehru Port by 180 km and slash travel time by up to 50%.
Of the total project cost of Rs 1,03,636 crore, expenditures of Rs 71,718 crore have already been incurred. Sections like Delhi-Lalsot and parts in Gujarat and Rajasthan are already operational, highlighting how the delay on this short 87-km stretch is disproportionately affecting the entire corridor's final connectivity.
The situation underscores the complex challenges in executing mega-projects, where bottlenecks caused by a single contractor on a small segment can derail the timeline and efficiency of a national asset worth lakhs of crores.
