India
oi-Swastika Sruti
The Ram Van Gaman Path project in Uttar Pradesh has run into trouble even before its inauguration, after a newly built stretch near Shringverpur Dham in Prayagraj developed cracks and sank at several points following rainfall.
A newly built stretch of Uttar Pradesh’s ₹819 crore Ram Van Gaman Path project near Shringverpur Dham, Prayagraj, cracked and sank after rainfall, raising concerns about construction quality by contractor PNC Infratech.
The damage has raised serious questions about the quality of construction, supervision and inspection of a major public infrastructure project. The affected road is connected to the larger corridor being developed to improve connectivity between Ayodhya and Chitrakoot and to promote religious tourism. The contractor associated with the relevant highway package is PNC Infratech.
Newly Built Road Develops Cracks At Four Locations
According to reports, four portions of the road developed cracks or sank within a stretch of around 100 metres between the Lucknow road and the Ganga bridge at Shringverpur Dham. What makes the incident particularly concerning is the timing. The road had not even completed its full public lifecycle, yet sections were already showing signs of cracking and subsidence.
पहली बारिश में भगवान राम को भ्रष्टाचार की भेंट चढ़ाने वाली बीजेपी राज्यसभा सांसद नवीन जैन की कंपनी PNC का क्या है 4300 करोड़ में बनने वाली राम वन गमन पथ कॉरिडोर से नाता
भाजपा के सबसे अमीर सांसद नवीन जैन का क्या है इस कपनी से रिश्ता
पत्रकार रवि बहादुर निडर पत्रकार है असली… pic.twitter.com/c3RZW1ln4P
— Debunk Indian (@debunkindian) September 5, 2026
For residents, the obvious question is simple: if a newly constructed road cannot withstand normal seasonal rainfall, was the construction carried out to the required standards?
PNC Infratech’s Role In The Project
NH-731A Package, which consists of Singraur Uphar-Baranpur Kadipur Ichauli, is the name of the package whose associated contractor is PNC Infratech.
From the regulatory disclosures of the company, it is evident that the company got the Letter of Acceptance for the project in the month of April 2023. The package entails the construction of the highway package along with the Ganga Bridge part.
As per the project disclosure by PNC, the cost of the project stands at ₹819 crore.
Thus, it is much more than a normal road repair problem because the construction of such an infrastructure project, which is constructed from public resources and faces defects, comes under the scanner of the contractor and government.
Rain Cannot Be The End Of The Explanation
Officials have attributed the damage to rainfall and said the affected portion will be repaired.
But simply blaming rain does not answer the most important question.
Was the road designed and constructed to withstand the weather conditions expected in the area?
Naveen Jain’s PNC Connection
Another aspect that is being talked about concerns the relationship between BJP Rajya Sabha MP Naveen Jain and PNC Infratech.
As per Jain’s affidavit in 2024 election, he had stated his total asset value at about ₹441.95 crore and had mentioned the shareholding of PNC Infratech valued at approximately ₹291.99 crore.
Thus, Jain’s affidavit reveals his financial stake in the company.
However, just by stating the financial relationship does not imply that Jain was associated with the construction of the Shringverpur road or had anything to do with its damages.
Thus, the key aspect for the investigators in this case is not just who holds shares in the contractor, but whether the contractor fulfilled all requirements of the contract and engineering.
Journalist Allegedly Stopped While Covering The Road Damage
The controversy took another turn when journalist Ravi Bahadur was reportedly stopped while trying to cover the damaged stretch and question officials about the condition of the Ram Van Gaman Path.
His attempt to document the road failure brought attention to concerns over transparency at the site. Instead of allowing the issue to be examined openly, the reported obstruction has raised a separate question: why should a journalist covering a public infrastructure project and seeking answers about construction quality be prevented from doing his job?
If authorities are confident about the quality of the work, then the condition of the road, inspection records and explanations from officials should be available for public scrutiny.
A ₹819-Crore Package Deserves Better Accountability
In case the infrastructure that cost hundreds of crores becomes faulty even before it becomes functional, then citizens have every reason to seek an explanation.
The issue here is not that some cracks need to be mended. Rather, there needs to be a determination of the true nature of the damage-whether it’s due to weather conditions or the building itself is flawed in one way or the other.
However, if the contractor adhered to all the specifications and the damage was caused by an unpredictable weather or site condition, then there is no doubt that a technical report would state the same.
On the other hand, in case poor quality of labor and materials or bad compaction/drainage was the cause of the damage, then fixing the road wouldn’t be the end of the matter.
