Gadkari Says Corrupt Ex-Officials Making Faulty DPR of Kullu–Manali Highway and Other Project.
New Delhi, Sept 3 – Union Road Transport and Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari has come down heavily on the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI), accusing its exofficials of preparing a faulty Detailed Project Report (DPR) for the Kullu–Manali National Highway without proper study.
These employees are reemployed by the private companies and barely search Google and prepare those faulty DPRs without proper site studies and geoanalysis .
Speaking at a FICCI meet, Gadkari said, “Nearly ₹3,000 crore has been spent on the Kullu–Manali highway, but the way it has been planned and executed, it seems something is terribly wrong with the DPR.
On both sides, there are mountains and in between flows the Beas river where population lives nearby. The protection work was never done properly signaling there is terribly wrong with DPRs.”
Similarly in Char Dham in Uttarakhand, landslides ate taking place every year killing people.
We find out solution for this: tunneling, he said. It is a notion that ministry runs the show. We need to relook at ways the DPRs are made and financial techno-clearance are secured, he expressed his helplessness.
Experts pointed out how poor construction quality by contractors has left the highway vulnerable. Shallow retaining walls and weak slope protection gave way as the Beas river, carrying massive debris, boulders, and sand, shifted its course Breaching the highway.
They also echoed Gadkari’s concerns, reminding that similar damage occurred during the 2023 floods and now again in 2025, yet no concrete measures have been taken to secure the lifeline road from the fury of the river.
The Kullu–Manali highway is a crucial artery for Himachal Pradesh, connecting the tourist hotspots of Kullu, Manali, and Lahaul-Spiti, but frequent washouts have left commuters, residents, and the tourism sector bearing the brunt.
Gadkari’s blunt remarks have once again put the spotlight on accountability in highway construction, especially in fragile Himalayan terrain where faulty planning can have disastrous consequences.
#NitinGadkari #KulluManaliHighway #HimachalPradesh #NHAI #BeasRiver
