Road ministry bars litigation by state agencies without nod

The ministry of road transport and highways (MORTH) has moved to tighten control over highway dispute handling, barring state agencies from filing arbitration challenges or litigation appeals without prior nod.

- Subhash Narayan & Manas Pimpalkhare

The 22 July order comes as arbitration claims against the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) have swelled to nearly ₹1 trillion—roughly 40% of NHAI's total liabilities and the ₹2.5 trillion it plans to spend on capital projects in FY25—underscoring the financial strain from unresolved conflicts.

By centralizing dispute management, the ministry aims to curb costly legal setbacks that it says often arise when state public works departments pursue cases independently.