India, Aug. 5 -- LUCKNOW Within weeks of its grand inauguration, the newly constructed Rs.4,200-crore Lucknow-Kanpur Expressway has faced structural distress, prompting the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) to suspend toll collections on Wednesday and initiate stringent disciplinary action against the concessionaire and monitoring officials.

The authority proposed to declare PNC Infratech Ltd - the concessionaire of the expressway - a "non-performer", making it ineligible to participate in future NHAI tenders. The move follows widespread complaints about damaged portions and patchwork at various locations on the 63-km-long expressway after its inauguration on July 13 by defence minister Rajnath Singh and Union minister Nitin Ga...