NEW DELHI, Oct. 27 -- The Centre will use Network Surveillance Vehicles (NSVs) to identify potholes across national highways and hold contractors, consultants and officials accountable for poor road quality, road transport and highways minister Nitin Gadkari said on Tuesday, warning that those found compromising on quality would face penalties and blacklisting.

Speaking at the CII National Conference on Highways of India's Future: Smart, Safe and Sustainable in New Delhi, Gadkari said the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH) had stepped up quality monitoring, helping reduce reported construction-quality problems by 30%.

"Last few months, I have been personally monitoring this, and I have reviewed hundreds of projects. Social ...