Union minister Nitin Gadkari has announced that every national highway project in India will soon feature QR codes displaying complete project details — from contractors and consultants to funding and deadlines. Citizens can scan these codes via smartphones to track progress and access helpline numbers for quick redressal.
Gadkari said the move aims to decentralise accountability. “Why should I alone get blamed? The QR code will show who the contractor, consultant, and officials are,” he said.
Public Access and Digital Monitoring
This initiative follows public calls for greater clarity on road construction quality and spending — notably after Bengaluru entrepreneur Anuradha Tiwari’s viral post questioning why roads lack maker information unlike consumer goods.
The National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) and project developers have also been instructed to upload construction progress videos on YouTube, using drone footage already available. Citizens’ comments and independent videos on social media will help officials gain ground-level insights.
People-Centric Infrastructure Push
Gadkari reiterated his focus on making infrastructure development “people-centric, sustainable, and safe.” The ministry is currently upgrading 25,000 km of highways under a ₹2 lakh crore plan, improving connectivity to ports and religious circuits.
He also projected that toll revenues could rise from ₹55,000 crore to ₹1.4 lakh crore within two years, citing improved road quality and logistics efficiency.
Emphasising environmental sustainability, he highlighted the transplantation of 8,500 trees along the Dwarka Expressway, underscoring that “every rupee invested in infrastructure generates three rupees of economic growth.”
