'Contractors Get Rich, People Die': Viral Post Urges Gadkari to Act on Road Accountability

A viral tweet demanding a public website with details on India’s road projects to ensure accountability has sparked widespread online discussion. The proposal called for listing contractors, costs, and officials involved.

What started as a simple tweet from a startup founder has snowballed into a major online discussion about accountability in India’s road construction system. Anuradha Tiwari, Founder of Dharma Party India, recently took to X (formerly Twitter) to tag Union Minister Nitin Gadkari, urging him to create a public website that lists complete details about every road project in the country.

Her message was direct and powerful:

"We need a public website that shows which contractor built the road, which babu approved it, total cost, ministers involved, and who's responsible for maintenance. Contractors are becoming billionaires while people die on roads. Bring real accountability now!"

The post quickly caught attention, not just on X, but also on Reddit, where it sparked a heated conversation about corruption, governance, and citizen empowerment.

Reddit Reacts: 'This Will Never Happen… Unless People Push Hard Enough'

Thousands of users weighed in, reflecting the mix of hope and cynicism that often surrounds issues of transparency in India.

One user bluntly said:

"This will never happen unless massive pressure is put on the government. Too many pockets would be hurt."

Another user pointed out how Kerala’s Public Works Department (PWD) already follows a version of this model:

"In Kerala, boards on roads display contractor names, maintenance duration, and engineer contacts. It's made a huge difference. The slogan even says — 'Citizens are not spectators, they are guardians.'"

But not everyone was optimistic. Some joked that anyone trying to crowdsource such data might attract unwanted attention from authorities.

"You'll have cops at your door within a day," one user wrote.

Another chimed in with a more sobering thought:

"If elections are the only thing that can make governments work for citizens, then we're in deep trouble."

Gadkari's Move: QR Codes for Road Project Details

Interestingly, Nitin Gadkari himself has already been working on something similar.

Speaking at a recent Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) event in New Delhi, the Minister announced a plan to install QR-coded information boards along highways.

By scanning these QR codes, travellers will soon be able to see which contractor built the road, who approved it, total project cost, contact details, and even emergency helpline numbers.

"This will make it easier for people to know who is responsible for each project," Gadkari said. "Accountability should be visible and public."