NEW DELHI: Conduct CAG audits of work of highway project consultants, particularly those of the Bharatmala Pariyojna, to ensure accountability of the project preparation process, the parliamentary panel on transport has said in its report tabled in Parliament on Tuesday.
The recommendation comes at a time when questions have been raised about poor quality of project reports and contractors, including by highways minister Nitin Gadkari, who has said tough actions would be initiated against bad performers.
The panel headed by JD(U) MP Sanjay Jha has observed that there were several irregularities in the preparation of detailed project reports (DPRs) and the functioning of project consultants involved in the Bharatmala Pariyojna and other expressway and national highway projects. The committee recorded its dissatisfaction with how 32 project consultants have been preparing DPRs without adequate consultation with local stakeholders, including experts and local representatives, particularly MPs.
“The committee, therefore, recommends that the ministry reviews the current process of engaging project consultants and consider conducting an audit of past awarded work of project consultants by the Comptroller and Auditor General in advance, to ensure greater accountability and efficiency in the project implementation process,” it said.
The panel also raised concerns over rutting and damage of newly constructed highways while flagging how contractors with bad financials and poor performance are bagging more projects. “The financial instability among contractors remains a recurring issue, the committee is deeply dissatisfied with the ministry’s failure to ensure rigorous financial screening before awarding contracts, leading to instances where contractors have defaulted on obligations due to financial distress, resulting in prolonged stagnation of infrastructure projects,” it said.
The committee also said many contractors who bagged projects lacked the financial capacity to sustain operations. It urged the ministry to enforce more rigorous financial screening before awarding contracts, ensuring that only firms with proven financial capacity undertake major infrastructure projects.
