Land woes stall Rs 12.7k-cr highway projects in Punjab
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In a reply to an unstarred question by Congress MP Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa, Union road transport and highways minister Nitin Gadkari said several infrastructure projects being executed by the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) and the Punjab public works department (PWD) are experiencing significant setbacks.
Key packages of the Delhi-Amritsar-Katra expressway are among the affected NHAI-implemented projects.
The Amritsar connectivity spur II, sanctioned at Rs 2,197.17 crore for a length of 30.05 km, was terminated due to non-availability of land, with fresh bids to be invited once possession is secured.
Spur III, which covers 28.1km and sanctioned at Rs 1,951.7 crore, is ongoing but delayed, with a revised completion date of Nov 30, 2026.
The Amritsar-Bathinda (package I) project, costing Rs 1,229.38 crore over 39 km, commenced on Nov 14, 2022, and was initially scheduled for completion by Nov 13, 2024.
It is now expected to be completed by Dec 31, 2026, due to land acquisition issues.
Likewise, Amritsar–Ghoman–Tanda–Una (Package-I), sanctioned at Rs 1,443.47 crore for 45.73 km, is delayed for similar reasons and is now targeted for completion by Jun 30, 2026. Package II of the same corridor, measuring 31.05 km and valued at Rs 818.41 crore, has been terminated due to land unavailability.
Another delayed NHAI project is the Amritsar (Airport Junction)–Ramdas (Package-IV) stretch, sanctioned at Rs 416.58 crore for 38.978 km.
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The project began on March 16, 2022, with an initial completion deadline of Sept 15, 2023, but is now projected to finish by Sept 30, 2025, due to delays in acquiring land.
In the Ludhiana–Rupnagar corridor, package I, which covers 37.7 km at a cost of Rs 1,368.91 crore, commenced on Dec 12, 2022. The concessionaire issued a termination notice citing delays in land handover and has demobilised resources from the site. The matter is under conciliation through the Conciliation Committee of Independent Experts (CCIE).
Meanwhile, package II, spanning 47.24 km and sanctioned at Rs 1,488.23 crore, was terminated for the same reason, with re-tendering to be undertaken after land possession is secured.
Rs 1,800cr Punjab PWD projects also delayed
Projects implemented by the Punjab public works department have also seen significant disruptions. The Jalandhar–Hoshiarpur NH-3 four-laning project (39.13 km, Rs 1,069.59 crore), awarded on Oct 23, 2017, is under termination due to land acquisition delays.
Similarly, the Jakhal bypass on NH-148B (5 km, Rs 50.13 crore), awarded on Jan 9, 2020, is being terminated after only 0.6 km of land could be handed over to the contractor.
Other ongoing but delayed projects include the Jalandhar–Hoshiarpur NH-3 widening (3.57 km, Rs 15.04 crore), which faces right-of-way constraints and now has a revised completion target of Nov 30, 2025. The Makhu–Arifke section of NH-703A, including two ROBs (24.6 km, Rs 192.48 crore), initially due by May 14, 2021, is now expected to be completed by Dec 31, 2025.
The ROB project on NH-7 at Fazilka (Rs 38.02 crore), awarded on Feb 28, 2023, was delayed due to pending railway clearances but is now in progress and targeted for completion by Oct 31, 2025.
The NH-354 upgrade from Arifke to Ferozepur–Muktsar–Malout, covering 63.27 km and costing Rs 263.2 crore, was affected by delays in obtaining no-objection Certificates from the irrigation department and land acquisition issues.
It is now expected to be completed by Dec 31, 2025. The Muktsar Sahib–Malout section of NH-354 (27.66 km, Rs 152.58 crore) is ongoing, with all work except the toll plaza completed. Construction of the toll plaza has been delayed due to land issues, and the PWD has been advised to redesign it within the available right-of-way.
Additionally, the Jalandhar–Kapurthala–Makhu stretch of NH-703A (7.3 km, Rs 53 crore), awarded in Dec 2023, has been delayed due to aggregate shortage and excessive rainfall, but is expected to be completed by Sept 15.
The ministry said that "projects in the state of Punjab are mainly delayed/stalled/terminated due to the issues relating to land acquisition and delay in obtaining statutory clearances". It confirmed that the govt is taking requisite measures in consultation with all stakeholders, including the Punjab govt, to resolve these challenges and resume stalled works wherever feasible.
4 NHAI PROJECTS TERMINATED
Project | Length (km) | Cost | Status
Delhi–Amritsar–Katra Expressway
Amritsar connectivity Spur II | 30.05km | Rs 2,197.2cr | Terminated due to non-availability of land; fresh bids after possession
Amritsar connectivity Spur III | 28.1km | 1,951.7cr | Ongoing, but delayed to Nov 30, 2026
Amritsar–Bathinda
Package I | 39km | 1,229.4cr | Delayed from Nov 13, 2024, to Dec 31, 2026
Amritsar–Ghoman–Tanda–Una
Package I | 45.7km | 1,443.5cr | Delayed to Jun 30, 2026
Package II | 31.05km | 818.41cr | Terminated due to land unavailability
Amritsar (Airport Jn)–Ramdas
Package IV | 38.9km | 416.6cr | Delayed to Sept 30, 2025, due to land acquisition
Ludhiana–Rupnagar
Package I | 37.7km | 1,368.9cr | Termination notice issued; matter under conciliation with CCIE
Package II | 47.2km | 1,488.2cr | Terminated; re-tendering after land possession
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