Government tightens rules for NH maintenance

The Indian road transport ministry has made it mandatory for contractors and agencies to provide evidence of time-stamped and geo-tagged photos of ‘before works and after maintenance’ when submitting bills for National Highways. The move comes in response to complaints about poor maintenance and a focus on construction rather than upkeep. The decision will affect around 10-15% of the 1.5 lakh km network and will primarily focus on highways converted from state highways to National Highways.