The government is considering significant changes to the framework governing the award of national highway and road projects, aiming to improve execution timelines and reduce cost overruns. Under the proposed rules, projects will only be awarded once critical pre-construction requirements are met.

A key change under discussion is the mandatory acquisition of at least 90% of the required land before a project is awarded. This marks a shift from earlier practices where projects were often bid out with incomplete land acquisition, leading to delays and disputes during execution.

In addition to land readiness, authorities are also planning to make building and environmental clearances a precondition for project awards. Ensuring that statutory approvals are in place beforehand is expected to minimize regulatory bottlenecks and litigation risks.

The move reflects the government’s broader push to enhance efficiency in infrastructure development, particularly in the roads sector, which has faced persistent delays due to land and approval-related hurdles. By front-loading these requirements, policymakers aim to create a more predictable and execution-ready project pipeline.