The National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) has announced an immediate suspension of toll collection on the Kanpur-Lucknow Expressway. This decision comes just weeks after the 63-km stretch was inaugurated on July 13, following widespread public complaints and social media reports highlighting damaged portions and extensive patchwork.
Immediate Action and Investigation
NHAI confirmed that toll collection would remain suspended until all necessary repairs are completed. The authority explicitly stated that the cost of these repairs, estimated at around Rs 3 crore, would be recovered from the concessionaire. Furthermore, NHAI has initiated disciplinary action against the concessionaire, engineers, and several officials for alleged lapses in construction quality and supervision.
The decision to suspend tolls followed a specific "slippage" incident reported near Km 64 of the expressway on July 26. Repair work commenced immediately, with traffic being diverted at the affected spot to ensure smooth flow.
Concessionaire Faces Severe Penalties
The primary concessionaire for the project, PNC Infratech Ltd, is facing stringent measures from NHAI:
- A notice has been issued proposing to declare PNC Infratach Ltd a "non-performer," which would bar the company from bidding on future NHAI projects.
- A show-cause notice proposes a penalty equivalent to 2% of the company's performance security.
- Debarment proceedings of up to three years are being considered against the firm's head of pavement/highways and other responsible staff.
- The concessionaire's overall performance rating is also slated for a downgrade.
Engineers and Officials Removed
In addition to actions against the concessionaire, several key personnel involved in the project have been removed and face further proceedings:
- Project Manager Vivek Kumar Gupta, Independent Engineer team leader Surendra Kumar, and Resident Engineer Yatendra Kumar have been removed from the project and debarred from any projects under the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways, NHAI, and NHIDCL for two years.
- Project Director Nakul Prakash Verma has been repatriated to his parent department. Charge sheets are being issued against him and former Project Director Saurabh Chaurasia for alleged negligence.
- Theme Engineering Services Pvt Ltd, the independent engineer for the project, is also facing proposed debarment from future NHAI projects.
The move by NHAI underscores a commitment to accountability and quality standards in national infrastructure projects, especially in response to public concerns regarding newly built expressways.