Tripura High Court directs the Union government to investigate alleged corruption and contractor collusion in NH-108B and NH-208 projects, orders repair progress reports, BRO quality audits, and possible civil or criminal action against responsible NHIDCL officials and EPC contractors.
The Tripura High Court has directed the Union government to conduct an inquiry into the selection of contractors and alleged irregularities in the execution of two national highway projects in the state, following concerns over the rapid and recurring deterioration of several stretches of NH-108B and NH-208.
A division bench comprising Chief Justice M.S. Ramachandra Rao and Justice Biswajit Palit directed the Union government to ascertain whether there was any corruption in the selection of contractors by the National Highways and Infrastructure Development Corporation Limited (NHIDCL), and whether any collusion between NHIDCL officials and Engineering, Procurement and Construction (EPC) contractors resulted in the alleged use of substandard construction materials.
The court has asked the Union government to submit a detailed report on these aspects within three months, by December 1, 2026. It further directed that if the inquiry establishes evidence of impropriety or corruption, appropriate civil or criminal action should be initiated against the NHIDCL officers and EPC contractors found responsible.
The directions were issued in a suo motu public interest litigation registered on July 7 after newspaper reports highlighted the poor condition of portions of the two national highways and allegations regarding the quality of construction materials. The High Court’s order referred to reports published in the Tripura Times and two other newspapers.
The court also directed NHIDCL to submit bi-weekly progress reports regarding repair and maintenance works on four specific stretches of NH-108B and NH-208.
The four stretches identified by the court include the Mohanpur-Hezamara-Subalsingh section of NH-108B; the Subalsingh-Khowai section near Mahadevtila on NH-108B; the Khowai near Mahadevtila-Srirampur section of NH-208 under Kailashahar-Khowai Package-V; and the Srirampur-Manikbhandar-Bamanchara section of NH-208 under Package-IV.
Expressing serious concern over the condition of the highways, the division bench observed that the citizens of Tripura were being exposed to risks and that their lives and livelihoods were being affected by the condition of the roads.
The bench further directed the State Government to explore the possibility of initiating civil or criminal proceedings against NHIDCL and its EPC contractors for allegedly failing to provide safe and motorable passage to residents and highway users.
The court also ordered a quality audit of the four stretches after completion of the ongoing repair works. Engineering personnel of the Border Roads Organisation (BRO) are to conduct the audit, and the report is to be submitted to the High Court in a sealed cover by January 30, 2027. NHIDCL and the concerned contractors have been directed to cooperate with the audit.
The High Court noted that NHIDCL has been entrusted with statutory responsibilities concerning the development, execution and routine maintenance of national highways in Tripura. It emphasised that the corporation’s duty of care towards highway users continues even when construction and maintenance activities are outsourced to EPC contractors.
According to the State Government’s counter affidavit, NH-208 and NH-108B are exclusively under the management of NHIDCL. The NH-108B stretch between Khowai and Agartala was developed through phased work orders beginning in July 2020, while work on the Kailashahar-Khowai stretch of NH-208 commenced in May 2020 and continued until March 31, 2026.
The State Government also informed the court that both highways were covered by a five-year Defect Liability Period, under which the executing central agency or concessionaire remained legally responsible for structural maintenance.
The government attributed extensive damage at several locations to heavy rainfall during the 2025 monsoon. Longitudinal cracking, structural fractures and severe pavement settlement were reported across different stretches. The State’s Public Works Department had brought the defects to NHIDCL’s notice and sought immediate restoration.
The State Government also said it had expressed displeasure over the quality of execution and instructed NHIDCL officials to rectify the engineering defects. However, it told the court that the pace of rectification remained unsatisfactory.
The High Court criticised the State Government’s response as well, observing that it could have explored the possibility of seeking the re-transfer of administrative control of the highways to the State PWD for maintenance between October 2025 and April 2026. The court noted that the Advocate General had indicated that the State Government was unwilling to pursue that option.
A report submitted by the District Legal Services Authority, Khowai, following inspections conducted on July 17, 18 and 20 documented poor road conditions on several portions of NH-208 and NH-108B. The report highlighted potholes, pavement distress, blocked drainage, road damage and inadequate safety arrangements.
NHIDCL, in its counter affidavit, attributed delays and deterioration to several factors, including inadequate mobilisation of manpower, machinery and construction materials by EPC contractors, heavy rainfall and recurring pavement distress.
The corporation said it had issued notices to contractors, undertaken risk-and-cost works and initiated restoration measures on affected stretches.
In one NH-108B project, NHIDCL stated that the original completion deadline was August 31, 2025. The first extension was granted in February 2026, extending the deadline to September 4, 2026. However, physical progress had reached only 51.14 per cent, and the contractor had failed to meet a revised project milestone.
The High Court observed that a project originally scheduled for completion in August 2025 remained incomplete nearly a year later, with only around half of the work completed. The bench said this raised questions regarding the care taken by NHIDCL in selecting EPC contractors, particularly in view of the project cost exceeding Rs. 5 crore per kilometre.
The court also took note of an inspection conducted by the Central Road Research Institute between July 23 and 27, 2025. However, the institute’s report was submitted only on June 23, 2026. NHIDCL’s counsel told the court that the corporation had been awaiting the report for guidance regarding repair works.
The bench observed that major defects had appeared on the Subalsingh-Khowai stretch soon after its completion. According to the court, the circumstances indicated that the work may have been of poor quality, potentially due to inadequate supervision by NHIDCL.
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The National Highways Authority of India (NHAI), meanwhile, informed the court through its counter affidavit that it did not possess, manage, execute or maintain any project within Tripura.
The Union government itself did not file a pleading in the case, although its Deputy Solicitor General had accepted notice when the suo motu PIL was registered on July 7.
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With the inquiry, repair monitoring and independent engineering audit now ordered, the High Court has sought greater accountability over the construction and maintenance of the state’s national highways.
The matter has been listed for September 22, 2026. The court has also directed that a copy of its order be supplied to the Director General of the Border Roads Organisation.
