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The Ministry of Road Transport and Highways has announced stringent measures against consultancy firms delivering substandard Detailed Project Reports (DPRs) for national highway and tunnel projects. Union Minister Shri Nitin Gadkari recently stated that consultants failing to adhere to technical and procedural standards would now be penalised. A rating system has been introduced to assess DPR quality, with provisions to incentivise high-performing firms. He also underscored the misalignment of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) spending and pushed for a targeted, audited approach to ensure funds are utilised for the benefit of economically and socially marginalised populations across sectors like education, agriculture, and healthcare.
Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways, Shri Nitin Gadkari, has issued a strong warning to consultancy firms involved in the preparation of Detailed Project Reports (DPRs) for highways and tunnel projects, citing consistent lapses in quality and procedural adherence. Addressing a gathering in New Delhi during the past week, he remarked that many of the DPRs being submitted by consultants are of poor quality and contribute directly to implementation delays, flawed designs, and unnecessary cost escalations. Advertisement
Gadkari noted that the ministry has launched a formal rating mechanism to evaluate the consultants preparing DPRs. This initiative is aimed at both improving accountability and setting a performance benchmark within the industry. Firms that consistently deliver comprehensive, technically sound, and standards-compliant DPRs will be acknowledged and rewarded, while those found lacking will face financial and operational penalties. "We have started rating consultants who are involved in DPR preparation. Those who are making good DPRs will be rewarded and those who are not adhering to proper procedures will be penalised," the minister said.
A DPR acts as the foundational blueprint of any road or tunnel project, encompassing all essential technical specifications, feasibility data, environmental assessments, geotechnical inputs, logistics planning, and financial evaluations. In recent years, the Ministry has flagged multiple projects that ran into delays or safety concerns due to shortcomings in the DPRs submitted by contracted consultants. Gadkari's statement marks a clear signal that the government is moving towards a zero-tolerance policy for compromised project planning in infrastructure development.
In the same address, Gadkari also brought attention to the utilisation of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) funds by Indian corporations. He called for a socio-economic audit framework to ensure that CSR spending translates into meaningful outcomes for disadvantaged communities. "CSR funds should be used to help people in education, agriculture and health sectors," he emphasised, adding that funds must be directed towards creating measurable improvements rather than being reduced to symbolic gestures.
Highlighting gaps in CSR implementation, Gadkari asserted that companies should align their social initiatives with national priorities such as rural development, agricultural enhancement, and public health infrastructure. He suggested that CSR should not merely be a statutory obligation but must become an integral part of nation-building efforts.
Source PTI
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