BY TC News Desk
Agartala, 15th November 2025: Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari has assured that all necessary measures are being taken to ensure quality and expedite the completion of 13 ongoing National Highway projects in Tripura under NHIDCL. The assurance came in response to a letter from Lok Sabha MP Biplab Kumar Deb, who had sought intervention for timely progress of highway works in the state.
In his official communication, Gadkari informed that out of the 13 projects under execution, six have been delayed due to issues related to land acquisition, local disturbances, force majeure conditions, and underperformance of certain EPC contractors. He said corrective measures, including termination or foreclosure of contracts and re-tendering of pending works, have already been initiated. NHIDCL is taking “all necessary steps” to ensure early completion.
The minister also stated that NHIDCL has deployed Authority’s Engineers and Special Project Monitors (SPMs) to strengthen quality assurance. Following the recent monsoon, pothole-related distress was observed on certain stretches of NH-108B and NH-208, prompting NHIDCL to engage the Central Road Research Institute (CRRI) to assess pavement conditions and identify structural issues.
Addressing concerns over low bidding, Gadkari said that eligibility norms for EPC and HAM mode contracts have been strengthened. A graded Performance Bank Guarantee (PBG) mechanism has been introduced to discourage abnormally low bids, and a contractor rating system based on quality and performance is being developed to enforce accountability.
Reacting to the development, MP Biplab Kumar Deb today expressed gratitude to the Union Minister for prioritizing Tripura’s highway projects. He said NHIDCL’s strengthened monitoring system through Engineers, Special Project Monitors and CRRI would ensure strict quality control. Deb noted that the revised guidelines on bidding and the introduction of the PBG system would help curb the persistent issue of unreasonably low bids and the resulting quality lapses.
He said these steps would lead to “practical and effective solutions” and contribute significantly to improving national highway infrastructure across Tripura.
