Megha Engineering and Infrastructures Ltd (MEIL) – the second largest purchaser of the now struck down electoral bonds – has been debarred from taking part in future Nationwide Highways Authority of India (NHAI) tenders, following a serious building failure on Nationwide Freeway 66 in Kerala. The corporate is taken into account a frontrunner in a number of central infrastructure initiatives – from roads and bridges to metro programs and defence manufacturing.
The motion stems from the collapse of slope safety works on the Chengala-Neeleshwaram stretch in Kasaragod district on June 16, 2025. An NHAI investigation blamed improper design, insufficient slope stabilization, and poor drainage programs. MEIL, the concessionaire below the Hybrid Annuity Mannequin, has not solely been blacklisted but in addition confronted a present trigger discover for a one-year debarment and a penalty of as much as Rs 9 crore. The corporate should now reconstruct the failed stretch at its personal price and proceed sustaining the highway for the subsequent 15 years below its contract.
This growth comes simply weeks after one other severe failure on the identical freeway, on the Ramanattukara–Valanchery stretch, the place a bolstered soil wall collapsed because of defective basis work. The fallout from that incident led to the suspension of a senior regional officer of the NHAI.
Union Minister for Highway Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari’s inexperienced mild to NHAI’s disciplinary motion towards the corporate alerts a crackdown. A senior official advised Enterprise Right this moment, “The federal government is dedicated to offer high quality and protected infrastructure, we’re working to boost highway high quality requirements. Failures won’t be tolerated, and there’s no immunity from accountability.”
The Prime Minister’s Workplace (PMO) is known to have just lately advised the Ministry of Highway Transport and Highways to enhance freeway high quality, notably with the onset of the monsoon. NHAI Chairman Santosh Kumar Yadav visited a number of affected stretches in Kerala in early June, later directing contractors to prioritize drainage, erosion management, and correct alignment to forestall future highway collapses.
In the meantime, MEIL’s troubles aren’t restricted to central contracts. In Maharashtra, Olectra Greentech Ltd, the group’s electrical mobility arm, confronted a risk of contract termination over alleged lapses in a Rs 10,000 crore electrical bus tender. The episode culminated within the resignation of Olectra’s CMD Okay.V Pradeep.
Based on information from the Election Fee, MEIL had bought Rs 966 crore price of electoral bonds between 2019-23. Of this, the unlisted agency donated the best quantity of about Rs 585 crore to the ruling BJP, adopted by Rs 195 crore to the Bharat Rashtra Samithi, Rs 85 crore to the DMK, Rs 37 crore to the Jagan Mohan Reddy-led YSR Congress Social gathering, Rs 25 crore to the TDP and Rs 17 crore to the Congress.
Final 12 months, the CBI had additionally filed a case towards the Hyderabad-based firm over allegations of bribery in reference to works associated to the Jagdalpur built-in metal plant.
Queries to the corporate remained unanswered.
