Malappuram/New Delhi: A design flaw caused the collapse of NH 66 at Kooriyad in Malappuram, top officials from the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH) and the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) told Parliament's Public Accounts Committee (PAC), according to a statement by committee chairman and Congress MP K C Venugopal.

MoRTH Secretary V Umashankar and NHAI Chairman Santosh Kumar Yadav appeared before the PAC on Thursday. Yadav admitted there was no mechanism to monitor quality or detect lapses in road construction projects, despite a total spend of over ₹30,000 crore. The officials also said there was no high-level technical panel overseeing these projects.

The Public Accounts Committee (PAC) is a key parliamentary body responsible for examining how public money is spent. It reviews audit reports submitted by the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) and ensures that government funds are used lawfully, efficiently, and without waste. The committee also investigates instances of financial mismanagement, corruption, or unnecessary expenditure.

Taking note of the collapse during the construction stage itself, the PAC directed the CAG to conduct a performance audit, reviewing the contracts, designs, and related documents.

The committee also ordered an emergency site visit to Kerala by a team led by NHAI chairman Yadav on May 31, June 1, and June 2. The team has been asked to inspect not just the collapsed site but also other potentially risky stretches. Construction should proceed only after it is ensured that similar incidents won’t recur, the statement from Venugopal’s office said.

A separate three-member expert team from IIT Palakkad, the Central Road Research Institute (CRRI), and the Geological Survey of India (GSI) has been tasked with inspecting the site and submitting a report within three weeks. Further action will be based on the findings of this committee.

The PAC pointed out that the road construction did not consider Kerala’s specific conditions. At Kooriyad -- an area with paddy fields and marshland -- the road was built without a solid base. Locals had demanded an elevated highway, but this was ignored. The committee asked why that demand was dismissed.

The consulting agency that finalised the road design was held responsible, and the contractor’s failure to consult NHAI's certified engineers was flagged as a serious lapse. "An agency unfamiliar with Kerala's terrain went ahead without adequate consultation," the PAC said.
Patchwork fixes, the committee added, are not enough. Questions over subcontracting practices also remain, and further steps will follow the CAG’s audit.