During the evaluation criteria, minus 30 marks is allocated against Catastrophic Failure, which would have impacted project and quality substantially, leads to loss of lives and lasting damage to road structure requiring re-construction. (Express file photo) In a move to create deterrence against construction related failures, the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH) has introduced stricter disqualification norms for Hybrid Annuity Mode (HAM) projects to prevent “catastrophic failures” caused by construction defects. The circular, dated April 29, extends provisions earlier applied to Engineering, Procurement, and Construction (EPC) projects to HAM contracts as part of the ministry’s broader push to strengthen quality in national highway development. HAM is a variant of the Public-Private Partnership model, where the government pay 40% of the project cost during construction and the balance 60% as annuity payments over the operations period.…