Ahmedabad: In a first-of-its-kind action in Gujarat, the Mahisagar District Road Safety Committee has imposed a penalty of ₹10,000 on a National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) official for failing to repair potholes on a stretch of National Highway-47 (NH-47) between Godhra and Ahmedabad. The fine was levied against the Project Director of the Project Implementation Unit (PIU), Ahmedabad-Godhra Region, for ignoring repeated instructions to carry out urgent road repairs.

According to an official order issued by the Mahisagar Collector, who also chairs the Road Safety Committee, the stretch in question spans just 6–7 km within the Mahisagar district limits but has witnessed 17 fatal accidents in the past five years. Despite directions issued during a District Road Safety Committee meeting in May 2025 for all road agencies to complete patchwork repairs, the NHAI official failed to act. A formal notice was subsequently issued, seeking a written explanation.

However, no action was taken even after 15 days of the notice, during which time two more fatal accidents occurred near Aashirvad Hotel in Vadadala village on NH-47. The Collector noted that this repeated non-compliance amounted to a serious lapse, resulting in the deaths of two innocent pedestrians, and called for accountability.

Citing provisions under Section 15(1) and Section 17 of the Gujarat Road Safety Act, 2018, the Collector imposed a penalty of ₹500 per day for 20 days, amounting to ₹10,000, for the period between June 18 and July 7, 2025.

The Chief General Manager of NHAI, Gandhinagar, has been directed to ensure compliance with the order and to submit supporting evidence to the Mahisagar District Road Safety Committee. DeshGujarat