Concerned over the increasing cases of unauthorized encroachments on national highways, the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways has shared a new plan for inspection and monitoring and immediate removal of these encroachments with its agencies as well as state governments. Under this, it has been made mandatory for the inspecting officer to report illegal encroachments and give full details of action taken on them.

The action includes recovery of damages caused due to illegal occupation. This step has been taken at a time when the Central Government has recently told the Parliament that in the last three years, neither any action could be taken in cases of encroachment on the highway nor a single rupee fine could be recovered. Along with this, the government has also accepted in response to a separate question that cases of unauthorized occupation, parking, encroachment in the form of ribbon development on and along the national highways are increasing.

Not a single case was filed on illegal occupation in three years

Now, to deal with this problem, the ministry has said in a letter sent to the Chief Secretaries of the states and Chief Engineers of the Public Works Department as well as its agencies that in the Control of National Highways (Land and Traffic) 2002, all the project directors of NHAI and heads of PWD in the states have been given the authority of highway administration.

It is important to keep the national highways free from unauthorized encroachments and for this it has been decided that the nature and severity of the encroachment will also have to be mentioned during inspection. After this, action will be taken to remove it. The Highway Administration has also been asked to inspect the highways every two months to check illegal encroachments and occupation, while the regional office of the ministry has to do this work every month.

If any encroachment starts, we will report it immediately

Along with this, the ministry has also made arrangements that its agencies and the contractors associated with it will keep a constant watch on the entire length of the project and if any illegal occupation or encroachment starts, they will report it immediately. Preventing encroachment, reporting it and finally removing it is a mandatory provision in contracts related to all types of projects, i.e. EPC, BOT and Hybrid Annuity. Along with this, the ministry has also shared the formats of notice to be given to illegal occupants, bills of compensation and certificate of recovery.

Illegal encroachments on the highway were removed this year

Madhya Pradesh 1866

Maharashtra 1062

Chhattisgarh 308

Gujarat 1153

Assam 240

Bihar 218

NCR 92

Himachal Pradesh 44