Ministry of Road Transport & Highways press release · 12 May 2026 · pibtracker filter

NHAI Successfully Defends Arbitration Claims in Panipat–Jalandhar Highway Project Disputes

PRID2260347 MinistryMinistry of Road Transport & Highways Released12 May 2026 Reading10 min

Two major arbitration cases involving claims by concessionaires exceeding Rs. 8,375 crores and counterclaims by NHAI amounting to Rs. 2,888.64 crores were settled for a net amount of Rs. 819.96 crores in favour of NHAI. Posted On: 12 MAY 2026 5:52PM by PIB Delhi Safeguarding public funds in National Highway projects, NHAI has successfully defended two major arbitration cases related to the Panipat–Jalandhar section of NH-44. The disputes involved high-value claims raised by concessionaires against NHAI in connection with the execution and operation of the National Highway project. The two arbitration matters together involved claims exceeding Rs. 8,375 crores towards alleged termination payments, compensation for loss of toll revenue, prolongation costs, escalation, extension of the concession period, damages arising from project delays and other associated financial claims. After extensive hearings and detailed examination of contractual provisions, technical records, evidence and expert submissions, the Hon’ble Arbitral Tribunal upheld several critical contentions advanced on behalf of NHAI and passed net awards in favour of NHAI. In the first arbitration proceeding, claims exceeding Rs. 5,443 crores were raised primarily on account of alleged loss of toll collection, loss of opportunity, termination payments and change-of-scope disputes under the Concession Agreement. NHAI strongly contested the claims, maintaining that the contractual termination was valid and attributable to defaults and deficiencies on the part of the concessionaire. After detailed adjudication, the Hon’ble Arbitral Tribunal rejected major monetary claims raised against NHAI. The Tribunal also accepted several counterclaims and defences put forward by NHAI concerning contractual breaches, project obligations and expenditure liabilities. After hearing the claims and counterclaims, the Hon’ble Tribunal passed a net award of around Rs. 115.73 crores in favour of NHAI along with applicable interest. The second arbitration matter involved claims exceeding Rs. 2,931.79 crores. The claimant sought compensation towards alleged delay-related losses, escalation, prolongation expenses, idling costs and other financial impacts claimed during project execution. NHAI comprehensively opposed the claims by demonstrating lack of contractual entitlement, insufficiency of supporting evidence, failure to establish causation and non-compliance with contractual procedures and documentation requirements. After considering the matter, the Hon’ble Tribunal substantially rejected the claims advanced against NHAI and upheld major counterclaims of the Authority. Following adjustment and set-off of amounts, the Tribunal awarded a net sum of around Rs. 704.23 crores in favour of NHAI. Earlier, NHAI successfully defended another arbitration matter related to the six-laning of the Kamrej–Chalthan section of NH-48 in Gujarat, leading to substantial savings of public funds. Against claims of around Rs. 174.49 crores raised by the contractor, the Arbitral Tribunal awarded only Rs. 54 lakhs to settle the case. Success in these arbitration cases reinforces NHAI’s consistent approach towards the protection of public funds, strict enforcement of contractual obligations and accountability in the execution of National Highway projects. ***** GDH/DS/HJ (Release ID: 2260347) Visitor Counter : 1087 Read this release in: Urdu , हिन्दी , Punjabi Ministry of Road Transport & Highways NHAI Successfully Defends Arbitration Claims in Panipat–Jalandhar Highway Project Disputes Two major arbitration cases involving claims by concessionaires exceeding Rs. 8,375 crores and counterclaims by NHAI amounting to Rs. 2,888.64 crores were settled for a net amount of Rs. 819.96 crores in favour of NHAI. Posted On: 12 MAY 2026 5:52PM by PIB Delhi Safeguarding public funds in National Highway projects, NHAI has successfully defended two major arbitration cases related to the Panipat–Jalandhar section of NH-44. The disputes involved high-value claims raised by concessionaires against NHAI in connection with the execution and operation of the National Highway project. The two arbitration matters together involved claims exceeding Rs. 8,375 crores towards alleged termination payments, compensation for loss of toll revenue, prolongation costs, escalation, extension of the concession period, damages arising from project delays and other associated financial claims. After extensive hearings and detailed examination of contractual provisions, technical records, evidence and expert submissions, the Hon’ble Arbitral Tribunal upheld several critical contentions advanced on behalf of NHAI and passed net awards in favour of NHAI. In the first arbitration proceeding, claims exceeding Rs. 5,443 crores were raised primarily on account of alleged loss of toll collection, loss of opportunity, termination payments and change-of-scope disputes under the Concession Agreement. NHAI strongly contested the claims, maintaining that the contractual termination was valid and attributable to defaults and deficiencies on the part of the concessionaire. After detailed adjudication, the Hon’ble Arbitral Tribunal rejected major monetary claims raised against NHAI. The Tribunal also accepted several counterclaims and defences put forward by NHAI concerning contractual breaches, project obligations and expenditure liabilities. After hearing the claims and counterclaims, the Hon’ble Tribunal passed a net award of around Rs. 115.73 crores in favour of NHAI along with applicable interest. The second arbitration matter involved claims exceeding Rs. 2,931.79 crores. The claimant sought compensation towards alleged delay-related losses, escalation, prolongation expenses, idling costs and other financial impacts claimed during project execution. NHAI comprehensively opposed the claims by demonstrating lack of contractual entitlement, insufficiency of supporting evidence, failure to establish causation and non-compliance with contractual procedures and documentation requirements. After considering the matter, the Hon’ble Tribunal substantially rejected the claims advanced against NHAI and upheld major counterclaims of the Authority. Following adjustment and set-off of amounts, the Tribunal awarded a net sum of around Rs. 704.23 crores in favour of NHAI. Earlier, NHAI successfully defended another arbitration matter related to the six-laning of the Kamrej–Chalthan section of NH-48 in Gujarat, leading to substantial savings of public funds. Against claims of around Rs. 174.49 crores raised by the contractor, the Arbitral Tribunal awarded only Rs. 54 lakhs to settle the case. Success in these arbitration cases reinforces NHAI’s consistent approach towards the protection of public funds, strict enforcement of contractual obligations and accountability in the execution of National Highway projects. ***** GDH/DS/HJ (Release ID: 2260347) Two major arbitration cases involving claims by concessionaires exceeding Rs. 8,375 crores and counterclaims by NHAI amounting to Rs. 2,888.64 crores were settled for a net amount of Rs. 819.96 crores in favour of NHAI." /> Safeguarding public funds in National Highway projects, NHAI has successfully defended two major arbitration cases related to the Panipat–Jalandhar section of NH-44. The disputes involved high-value claims raised by concessionaires against NHAI in connection with the execution and operation of the National Highway project. The two arbitration matters together involved claims exceeding Rs. 8,375 crores towards alleged termination payments, compensation for loss of toll revenue, prolongation costs, escalation, extension of the concession period, damages arising from project delays and other associated financial claims. After extensive hearings and detailed examination of contractual provisions, technical records, evidence and expert submissions, the Hon’ble Arbitral Tribunal upheld several critical contentions advanced on behalf of NHAI and passed net awards in favour of NHAI. In the first arbitration proceeding, claims exceeding Rs. 5,443 crores were raised primarily on account of alleged loss of toll collection, loss of opportunity, termination payments and change-of-scope disputes under the Concession Agreement. NHAI strongly contested the claims, maintaining that the contractual termination was valid and attributable to defaults and deficiencies on the part of the concessionaire. After detailed adjudication, the Hon’ble Arbitral Tribunal rejected major monetary claims raised against NHAI. The Tribunal also accepted several counterclaims and defences put forward by NHAI concerning contractual breaches, project obligations and expenditure liabilities. After hearing the claims and counterclaims, the Hon’ble Tribunal passed a net award of around Rs. 115.73 crores in favour of NHAI along with applicable interest. The second arbitration matter involved claims exceeding Rs. 2,931.79 crores. The claimant sought compensation towards alleged delay-related losses, escalation, prolongation expenses, idling costs and other financial impacts claimed during project execution. NHAI comprehensively opposed the claims by demonstrating lack of contractual entitlement, insufficiency of supporting evidence, failure to establish causation and non-compliance with contractual procedures and documentation requirements. After considering the matter, the Hon’ble Tribunal substantially rejected the claims advanced against NHAI and upheld major counterclaims of the Authority. Following adjustment and set-off of amounts, the Tribunal awarded a net sum of around Rs. 704.23 crores in favour of NHAI. Earlier, NHAI successfully defended another arbitration matter related to the six-laning of the Kamrej–Chalthan section of NH-48 in Gujarat, leading to substantial savings of public funds. Against claims of around Rs. 174.49 crores raised by the contractor, the Arbitral Tribunal awarded only Rs. 54 lakhs to settle the case. Success in these arbitration cases reinforces NHAI’s consistent approach towards the protection of public funds, strict enforcement of contractual obligations and accountability in the execution of National Highway projects. ***** GDH/DS/HJ " /> var mPlayer = document.getElementById("background_music"); var mPlayAction = document.getElementById("playbutton"); var isPlaying = false; function playAudio() { mPlayer.play(); isPlaying = true; document.getElementById('stopA').style.display = "block"; document.getElementById('playA').style.display = "none"; } function pauseAudio() { mPlayer.pause(); isPlaying = false; document.getElementById('playA').style.display = "block"; document.getElementById('stopA').style.display = "none"; } //function HandleAudio() { // if (isPlaying == true) { // //Playing already Pause it // pauseAudio(); // } else { // //Play the music // playAudio(); // } //} var synth = window.speechSynthesis; function CleanHtml(html) { html = html.replace(/ /gi, ''); return html; } function stripHtml(html) { let tmp = document.createElement("DIV"); tmp.innerHTML = CleanHtml(html); return tmp.textContent || tmp.innerText || ""; } $(document).ready(function () { //for responsive tables $("table").each(function () { if (!$(this).closest(".table-responsive").length) { $(this).wrap(" "); } }); var width = $(window).width(); if (width $(document).ready(function () { var width = $(window).width(); if (width @media print { .sticky-social, .sticky-social_mb, .pull-right, #printPDF { display: none !important; } } .f_vl { padding-right: 30px; font-size: 17px; cursor: pointer; } .log_oo { // width: 20%; display: flex; justify-content: space-between; } .log_oo img { width: 150px; /*width: 100%; height: auto;*/ } .sticky-social_mb { position: fixed; bottom: 0px; padding: 0px; margin: 0px; width: 100%; } .social_mb { list-style: none; display: flex; width: 100%; margin-bottom: -8px; } .social_mb a { padding: 8px 0px; font-size: 30px; transition: all 0.8s ease-in-out; width: 20% !important; text-align: center; } .section1 { position: relative; padding: 10px 0px; width: 100%; } .sticky-social { position: fixed; top: 20px; left: 0px; padding: 0px; margin: 0px; } .social { list-style: none; } .social a li { padding: 8px 12px; font-size: 25px; transition: all 0.8s ease-in-out; } .social a li:hover { margin-right: -30px; box-shadow: 2px 5px 10px grey; } .social a li:hover .fa { margin-left: 20px; } .fb_b { /* background-color: rgb(59, 89, 152);*/ background-color: rgba(65,103,178,255); } .twitter_r { /* background-color: rgb(29, 161, 242);*/ background-color: #000000; } .whatsapp_r { /* background-color: rgb(77, 194, 71);*/ background-color: rgba(13,191,67,255); } .fa-envelope_r { /* background-color: rgb(219, 68, 55);*/ background-color: #e2123d; } .fa-linkedin_r { background-color: rgb(0, 119, 181); } @media only screen and (max-device-width: 767px) { p span img { max-width: 90% !important; height: auto !important; } p img { max-width: 90% !important; height: auto !important; } h2 { font-size: 20px !important; font-weight: 600 !important; } h3 { font-size: 18px !important; font-weight: 600 !important; } } /* === Film Roll Badge Styling(IFFI2025 countdown) === */ .film-roll-badge { position: absolute; top:82%; right: 20px; width: 230px; height: 70px; background: repeating-linear-gradient( to right, #9a2375 0px, #9a2375 18px, #6e2b8b 18px, #6e2b8b 36px ); border-top: 8px solid #9a2375; border-bottom: 8px solid #9a2375; border-radius: 8px; overflow: hidden; box-shadow: 0 4px 12px rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.4); animation: moveFilm 8s linear infinite; z-index: 10; } /* film sprocket holes */ .film-roll-badge::before, .film-roll-badge::after { content: ""; position: absolute; width: 100%; height: 10px; background: repeating-linear-gradient( to right, #9a2375 0px, #9a2375 10px, #fff 10px, #fff 20px ); left: 0; z-index: 2; } .film-roll-badge::before { top: -4px; } .film-roll-badge::after { bottom: -4px; } .film-roll-inner { position: relative; height: 100%; display: flex; align-items: center; justify-content: center; animation: flicker 2s infinite ease-in-out; } .countdown-text { font-size: 1.3rem; font-weight: 700; color: #fff; text-shadow: 0 0 6px rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.4), 0 0 10px #000; white-space: nowrap; } /* === Animations === */ @keyframes moveFilm { 0% { background-position: 0 0; } 100% { background-position: 120px 0; } } @keyframes flicker { 0%, 100% { opacity: 1; } 50% { opacity: 0.9; } 25% { opacity: 0.95; } 75% { opacity: 0.85; } } /* === Responsive Adjustments === */ @media (max-width: 1500px) { .film-roll-badge { top: 68%; right: 18px; /* width: 220px; */ height: 65px; font-size: 0.85rem; } .press-section { margin-top: 35px; } } @media (max-width: 992px) { .film-roll-badge { top: 52%; right: 10px; width: 200px; height: 60px; } } @media (max-width: 768px) { .film-roll-badge { top: 56%; right: 10px; width: 124px; height: 55px; } .countdown-text { font-size: 0.9rem; } } @media (max-width: 576px) { .film-roll-badge { top: 59%; right: 5px; /* width: 160px; */ height: 50px; } .countdown-text { font-size: 0.85rem; } } const festivalStart = new Date("2025-11-20T00:00:00").getTime(); const festivalEnd = new Date("2025-11-28T23:59:59").getTime(); const countdownElement = document.getElementById("countdown"); const interval = setInterval(() => { const now = new Date().getTime(); // BEFORE FESTIVAL — show days + hours left if (now = festivalStart && now el.style.width = "350px"); clearInterval(interval); } }, 1000); //

Original PIB release
pib.gov.in · PRID 2260347

Open on PIB ↗

NHAI Successfully Defends Arbitration Claims in Panipat–Jalandhar Highway Project Disputes

More from this day