NHAI Publishes Timeline to Streamlines Land Acquisition Activities

In India’s quest to build world-class road infrastructure, timely land acquisition remains a critical bottleneck. While the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) has made remarkable progress in project planning and execution, delays in land acquisition have often hampered progress, causing cost escalations and public inconvenience. To address this, the NHAI has introduced a 336-day framework under Section 3 of the National Highways Act, 1956, vide Policy Circular No. 7.1.83/2025 dated April 9, 2025, to accelerate infrastructure development and minimize delays in highway construction.

The crucial 21-day objection period under Section 3C of National Highways Act, 1956 has not been optimally utilized, leading to backlogs, cost overruns, and disruption of project schedules. In many cases, authorities failed to secure land possession in time, delaying project execution by months or even years.

To address delays and cost overruns, NHAI has implemented a step-by-step, time-bound schedule ensuring faster execution while respecting legal requirements. The framework is as follows:

1. Submission of Draft 3A to Competent Authority for Land Acquisition (CALA): The draft notification under 3A must be submitted within 1 day, with optimum completion within 1 day from the start time.
2. Publication of 3A Notification: For the purpose of verification and signature on the draft 3A proposal, the same must be uploaded on the Bhoomi Rashi portal for approval and for publication in the E-Gazette and newspapers within 1 day, with optimum completion within 21 days from the start time.
3. Publication of 3D Notification (Post Project Approval by the Competent Authority): The draft 3D must be submitted to CALA for verification and signature along with uploading the draft 3D proposal on the Bhoomi Rashi portal for approval and for publication in the E-Gazette and newspapers. It also includes engagement of agency for securing Right of Way (ROW) through bamboo or other plantations after publication of 3D Notification. The same must be complied with within 60 days for NHO and, in the case of Cabinet Approval, within 90 days, with optimum completion within 111 days from the start time.
4. Declaration of Award under Section 3G: Notice under Section 3G (3), determination of market rate, valuation of structures, and preparation of award must be done within 90 days, with optimum completion within 201 days from the start time.
5. Submission of Award to Project Director/Regional Officer for Verification and Approval: This must be achieved within 5 days, with optimum completion within 206 days from the start time.
6. Deposition of Funds or Limit Creation under Section 3H: Account verification and disbursement of compensation must be completed within 10 days, with optimum completion within 216 days from the start time.
7. Possession under Section 3E: Issuance of notice within 15 days of fund deposit, mobilization of bamboo (or other suitable tree) plantation agency to secure ROW must be done within 90 days with optimum completion within 306 days from the start time.
8. Mutation of Land: May commence parallel to the 3D Notification and must be completed within 30 days after possession. The timeline for the same is between 3D and possession, with optimum completion within 336 days from the start time.

Role of Monitoring and Digital Tools

1. To ensure real-time tracking and accountability, the timeline shall be monitored weekly by the Project Director and fortnightly by the Regional Officer. Any delays or deviations are to be escalated promptly to the Chief General Manager (Technical) at NHAI Headquarters.
2. Furthermore, the policy mandates compulsory use of the ‘Bhoomi Rashi’ portal—an integrated digital platform developed for electronic processing of land acquisition notifications. This brings transparency, avoids duplication, and ensures traceability across the approval chain.

The 336-day timeline introduced by NHAI is a transformative reform aimed at minimizing delays, preventing cost overruns, and enhancing inter-agency coordination. By standardizing land acquisition processes and leveraging digital tools, the policy fosters transparency and fairness, ensuring smoother execution of highway projects and contributing to India’s infrastructural growth under initiatives like Bharat Mala.