New Delhi: The National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) has decided it’s time to put the brakes on loose ends, shortcuts, and creative interpretations of rules. In a fresh set of clarifications to its Request for Proposal (RFP) provisions, the Authority is rolling out a stricter playbook to ensure that only genuine, technically capable contractors take the fast lane on national highway projects.
Similar Work Means… Similar Work (Not Painting a Divider)
For years, some bidders have been stretching the definition of “Similar Work” to comic proportions—claiming that patchwork repairs, painting medians, or fixing toll booth signboards prepared them for mega highway projects. NHAI has now clarified that “Similar Work” refers only to completed highway projects with all major components comparable to those under bid. In other words: no more inflating credentials by citing “one flyover ramp in my hometown.”
Bye-Bye Ghost Contractors
The clarifications also clamp down on the shadowy practice of unauthorized sub-contracting. EPC contractors secretly engaged for HAM and BOT projects—or subcontractors sneaked in without approval—will now be branded as indulging in “Undesirable Practice.” Penalties will follow, on par with fraudulent behavior. Essentially, NHAI is telling bidders: you can’t just pass the work to your cousin’s cousin with a JCB and hope nobody notices.
No Borrowed Wallets Allowed
Financial transparency too gets a stern booster shot. Some bidders were furnishing “Bid and Performance Securities” issued by mysterious third parties—basically like showing up at the bank with your neighbour’s cheque book. That loophole is now plugged. Securities must come directly from the bidder or approved entities only. This ensures accountability doesn’t vanish faster than a highway dhaba’s jalebi plate.
Building Highways, Not Excuses
The Authority’s clarifications are aimed at reducing delays, curbing cost escalations, and ensuring projects don’t resemble half-baked experiments. By tightening qualification norms, banning unauthorized players, and ensuring genuine financial backing, NHAI expects smoother execution, timely delivery, and roads that last longer than political promises.
