Mumbai, July 3 -- The National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) has issued a standard operating procedure to standardise the execution of deposit works requested by Central and state government departments, public sector agencies and other entities. The move follows a rise in requests for road connectivity projects, flyovers, bridges, approach roads, interchanges and other transport infrastructure that fall outside NHAI's regular mandate. The SOP is intended to bring transparency, accountability and consistency to the delivery of such projects.

Under the policy, deposit works will be fully funded by the sponsoring organisation, which must provide funds in advance and bear 100 per cent of project costs. NHAI will levy a fee of three to five per cent of the project's civil cost for execution services, subject to waiver at the discretion of the NHAI chairman. The procedure prescribes how cost estimates are to be prepared and administrative approvals obtained. It places strong emphasis on financial discipline, setting out steps to manage cost escalations, revised estimates and approvals when costs exceed sanctioned limits during execution.

The SOP sets out the approval hierarchy and identifies competent authorities for sanctioning projects and approving subsequent revisions, and it requires formal proposals from sponsoring agencies detailing scope, concept and objectives. Proposals will undergo technical and administrative scrutiny before approval and will be monitored during implementation to manage expenditure and adherence to standards. Specific responsibilities will be assigned to Regional Offices, Project Directors and field officials for supervision, contract management and quality assurance.

The document mandates continuous monitoring to ensure projects meet prescribed technical standards and approved timelines, and it seeks to institutionalise a uniform mechanism across NHAI for decision making and process uniformity. Officials expect the standardised approach to strengthen accountability and facilitate efficient project delivery while preserving NHAI's established quality and safety norms. The SOP therefore provides a structured framework for agencies seeking NHAI support to implement transport infrastructure.

Published by HT Digital Content Services with permission from Construction World.