Now Reading: MoRTH Caps Associate Consultant Ratings at 75% for Highway Projects
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MoRTH Caps Associate Consultant Ratings at 75% for Highway Projects
The road transport ministry has revised ratings for consultants preparing detailed project reports for national highway projects, capping associate firms at 75% of the lead consultant’s score. Associate ratings will be published…
The Story in Brief
The road transport ministry has revised ratings for consultants preparing detailed project reports for national highway projects, capping associate firms at 75% of the lead consultant’s score. Associate ratings will be published separately, while joint venture partners will retain full project ratings, Livemint reports. The ministry says the change aims to link scores with actual responsibility and improve accountability in highway planning.
Livemint reports that highway awards fell from 12,376 km in FY23 to about 7,538 km in FY25, with new awards around 7,000 km in FY26, a seven-year low. Construction also dropped to 9,380 km in FY26. The ministry has cited poor-quality DPRs as one reason for delays and weaker awards. Industry executives said the revised system could push firms to develop stronger end-to-end capabilities.
The Indian Opinion
The lazy narrative would blame consultants alone for the highway slowdown, while the opposite claim would treat a rating change as a cure-all. Better DPRs can reduce design changes and delays, but the new rule will matter only if ratings are transparent, consistently applied and linked to tender decisions. The useful test is whether project awards and construction rise from the FY26 lows without a fresh increase in cost overruns.
Source: livemint.com
This story was synthesised by AI from the source linked above.
