The matter of potholes on Delhi-Dehradun Expressway reached Parliament, government said – ‘The contractor has paid at his own expense.

Delhi Dehradun Expressway: Just a few months after the inauguration of the Delhi-Dehradun Expressway, the matter of finding potholes on it has now reached Parliament. The central government admitted in the Rajya Sabha that two potholes were found on the expressway. However, the government said that the road is still under the 10-year defect liability period, so the construction company repaired it as part of its responsibility without any government expense. At the same time, the government did not tell why the potholes were formed on the new road.

What did the government say in Rajya Sabha?

Answering the question of MP Ashok Singh in the Rajya Sabha, Union Road Transport and Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari said that the Delhi-Dehradun Access Controlled Highway is currently in the defect liability period of 10 years. He said that during this period two potholes were found on the expressway. The contractor, fulfilling his responsibility as per the contract, repaired both the potholes at his own expense. For this the government did not have to bear any additional expense.

Government did not answer on the reason for potholes

The government in its reply did not clarify the reason for the formation of potholes on the newly constructed road. The only reply given was that the road was under guarantee period and when any defect was found, the construction company rectified it.

What is defect liability period?

Defect liability period is the fixed period in which the contractor is responsible to correct any technical defect or construction defect related to road construction. During this period, the entire cost of repair is borne by the construction company and not the government. This period has been fixed at 10 years for Delhi-Dehradun Expressway.

How did the controversy start?

Prime Minister to inaugurate Delhi-Dehradun Expressway on 14 April 2026 Narendra Modi was did. This 210 kilometer long expressway has been constructed at a cost of approximately Rs 12 thousand crores. A few months after the inauguration, videos of potholes on the expressway near Shamli during monsoon went viral on social media. After this, questions started being raised regarding the quality of the road and safety of passengers. The opposition also cornered the government on this issue.

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Earlier, in the field level response of the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI), waterlogging and incomplete drainage system were cited as possible reasons. However, in the reply given in the Rajya Sabha, the government did not mention the reason for the potholes.

Action taken against 103 agencies in three years

In response to the same question, the government also said that action has been taken against 103 agencies, contractors and companies during the last three years in cases of poor quality or violation of contract terms in National Highway projects. Blacklisting, imposing fines and other punitive measures were taken against them. According to the government, action was taken against 29 agencies in the year 2023-24, 29 agencies in 2024-25 and 45 agencies in 2025-26.