Union minister Nitin Gadkari has said that works worth over Rs 1 lakh crore will be undertaken for tunnels at strategic locations in the next five years to ensure all-weather connectivity.

Also, the minister said, competent players, whether small or big, need to be given an opportunity and there is a need to relax parameters including technical and financial qualifications for bidders.

"There is a need for tunnels in the country, especially at the strategic locations, to provide all-weather connectivity. In the next five years, we will undertake work worth more than Rs 1 lakh crore for tunnels," the road transport and highways minister said.

Gadkari said this after holding a round-table discussion with senior officials, stakeholders, and industry players during a workshop on 'Underground Construction and Tunnelling' by Assocham and the National Highways and Infrastructure Development Corporation Ltd.

He said the need of the hour is to reduce cost and improve quality and added that departments cannot function in silos and need to work in a comprehensive manner.

"There is a need to relax technical and financial qualification for projects, including tunnels, to provide opportunity to small players also, as it has been seen that big players, after getting the contract, assign the same to small players who in absence of stringent parameters are unable to bid for the project," he said.

At the same time, he added that a policy will be put in place soon for project consultancy management as faulty detailed project reports (DPRs) had caused much damage to the highways sector.

He said national highways accounted for 40 percent of the total 5 lakh accidents in India per annum in which 1.5 lakh people die and defective DPRs are one of the major reasons for faulty road designs.

About the strategic Zojila tunnel, he said its price will not increase.