Performance audit of highways can boost quality construction: Gadkari

Union Minister Nitin Gadkari Tuesday said performance audit of highways could boost quality construction.

Gadkari said his ministry's endeavour is to reduce the cost of construction of highways and increase its quality through innovative methods.

"Performance audit has quality to reform...it can boost construction," said the road transport and highways minister, while addressing the National Highways Award for Excellence event here.

He said construction of highways has reached 28 km a day at present and is likely to be 40 km a day by March-end.

Gadkari added that recognising the work of good players is also a way to boost quality construction and his ministry has selected companies in a transparent manner.

Some of the winners for awards included IL&FS for Chenani Nashri tunnel in Jammu and Kashmir, Sadbhav Infra for Eastern Peripheral Expressway stretch, Ashoka Buildcon and Dilip Buildcon.

The Ministry of Road Transport and Highways has initiated the National Highways Awards for Excellence 2018 to incentivise key stakeholders in the highway construction and maintenance process by recognising and awarding agencies for the best constructed and maintained road assets in the country.

The Quality Council of India was engaged as a consultant to create the framework for institution of the national highway awards and execute the first cycle of selecting winners for 2018.

The best performers were selected based on multiple rounds of assessment. The jury committee finalised the awards on November 30, 2018.

The award recognises the companies who have performed exceptionally during the construction, operations, tolling and maintenance stages.