UP turns to IITs to audit Rs 100 crore-plus roads, bridges, sewer projects

The initiative, launched by the state's Planning Department, aims to ensure that major government projects meet prescribed construction, technical and safety standards.Last month, a section of the Greenfield National Elevated Expressway in Uttar Pradesh's Unnao caved in just 12 days after its inauguration. (Screengrab)The Uttar Pradesh government has decided to strengthen the monitoring of large infrastructure projects following concerns over technical flaws and construction quality in some major expressways and government projects in recent days.Under the new system, projects costing more than Rs 100 crore will undergo third-party quality audits by premier technical institutions, including IITs. The audits will cover roads, bridges, sewerage, water supply and other public utility projects across the state.According to an order issued by the state Finance Department, different IITs have been assigned responsibility for auditing projects in various divisions.IIT Kanpur will inspect projects costing more than Rs 100 crore in districts across the Kanpur, Lucknow, Banda, Prayagraj, Ayodhya, Agra, Jhansi and Devipatan divisions. IIT-BHU, Varanasi, will oversee projects in the Basti, Gorakhpur, Azamgarh, Varanasi and Mirzapur divisions. IIT Roorkee will conduct audits of projects in the Saharanpur, Moradabad, Bareilly, Meerut and Aligarh divisions.The initiative, launched by the Planning Department, aims to ensure that major government projects meet prescribed construction, technical and safety standards. A third-party quality audit involves an independent agency examining a project's design, construction process, materials used and compliance with prescribed standards. Such audits are intended to make project monitoring more transparent and reduce the possibility of conflicts of interest.Officials said teams from the IITs will inspect projects at different stages, from the beginning of construction to completion. Detailed reports will be prepared based on the inspections, with corrective measures to be taken wherever necessary.The decision comes weeks after a section of the Greenfield National Elevated Expressway in Uttar Pradesh's Unnao caved in just 12 days after its inauguration, raising fresh concerns over the quality of construction.The UP government’s audit move is aimed at improving accountability and ensuring that large public infrastructure projects in Uttar Pradesh meet required quality and safety standards.- EndsPublished On: Aug 24, 2026 16:02 IST