Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari, in response to a question asked by MP Tarun Chugh in the Rajya Sabha, admitted that several highway and expressway projects in Punjab are facing significant delays.Gadkari said issues such as land acquisition disputes, farmers’ protests, utility shifting, forest clearances, and compensation demands have slowed down progress.Chugh had asked the government to provide project-wise details of pending works in Punjab, including land acquisition, relocation of utility services, forest and local approvals, as well as the approved cost, funds released, expenditure incurred, physical progress, and the impact of delays on timelines.The minister said 35 ongoing projects, including the Delhi–Katra Expressway and the Jamnagar–Amritsar Economic Corridor, were being closely monitored. Despite government efforts to streamline land acquisition and speed up approvals, local disputes and law-and-order challenges have hampered timelines.