Under the revised criteria, 20 marks will be deducted from the rating of an AE or IE consultancy firm for each catastrophic failure, according to a recent ministry notification. The deduction will be applied to the individual project score of the project where the catastrophic failure has occurred.
Major structural collapses and severe serviceability losses in national highway projects are classified as catastrophic failures. Such incidents can result in penalties for responsible concessionaires and trigger accountability measures.
Following the deduction, the individual project score, including any negative value, will be considered while calculating the overall rating score. The same 20-mark deduction will apply to all joint venture partners and associates involved in the project, the ministry said.
The government had earlier introduced a 30-mark deduction for each catastrophic failure while rating highway concessionaires. However, the rating criteria for AE and IE consultancy firms did not previously include a similar provision.
According to the ministry, AE and IE firms, as representatives of the authority at project sites, are responsible for design review, supervision, quality control and safety. The revised criteria seek to strengthen accountability for these consultancy firms in the event of major failures.
The provision will take immediate effect, with the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) designated as the nodal agency for rating AE and IE firms under the revised criteria. MoRTH has also directed all concerned executing agencies to evaluate AE and IE consultancy firms in accordance with the revised rating criteria.
