PWD Minister reviews road and bridge conditions; new works cleared through tender process to begin at full pace from October 15
Raipur : Chhattisgarh Deputy Chief Minister and Public Works Minister Arun Sao has directed officials to complete the repair of all rain-damaged roads and bridges across the state, including national highways, by October 15.
Sao held a review meeting with chief engineers from different regions, superintending engineers and executive engineers to assess the condition of roads and bridges across Chhattisgarh. He expressed concern over the deterioration of roads during the monsoon and instructed the department to prepare a comprehensive repair plan and take up restoration work immediately after the rains.
Public Works Department Secretary Mukesh Kumar Bansal and Chief Engineer V.K. Bhatpahari were present at the meeting, while executive engineers from different divisions joined through video conferencing. The review was held at the PWD headquarters, ‘Nirman Bhawan’, in Nava Raipur.
Field Inspection Within Two to Three Days
Sao directed all executive engineers to visit their respective areas within the next two to three days and inspect the condition of roads and bridges on the ground.
He instructed officials to prepare firm action plans for road repairs and ensure that adequate funds are made available to all divisions for repair and maintenance work based on their requirements. Where necessary, tendering should be undertaken promptly and agencies finalised for the work.
Apart from repairing roads and bridges, the minister directed officials to ensure the repair, cleaning and painting of road dividers and related infrastructure. Executive engineers were also asked to spend two to three days a week in the field to monitor works directly.
New Works to Begin at Full Pace From October 15
Sao directed that all new works that have received administrative approval and whose tendering process has already been completed should begin at full pace from October 15.
He also stressed that construction and repair works should be carried out in a manner that causes minimum inconvenience to the public. Officials were instructed to strictly follow safety standards at work sites and make suitable arrangements such as diversion routes and proper signage wherever required for the convenience of commuters.
The minister further directed officials to ensure prompt repair and maintenance of roads covered under performance guarantees through the concerned contractors.
He emphasised that construction projects should meet prescribed quality standards and deadlines, with proper execution of works remaining a key priority for the department.
PWD Offices to Undertake Cleanliness Drive
During the meeting, Sao also directed the Public Works Department to conduct cleanliness drives across all departmental offices under the ‘Swachhata Hi Seva’ campaign being undertaken as part of the Seva Sankalp Abhiyan.
He instructed officials to keep office premises free from garbage, scrap and other waste and ensure that the entire परिसर is maintained in a clean condition. Proper maintenance of departmental buildings was also emphasised.
Senior Officials Attend Review Meeting
PWD Additional Secretary S.N. Srivastava, Chhattisgarh Road and Infrastructure Development Corporation Additional Managing Director Shashank Pandey, and senior departmental officials attended the meeting.
Chief Engineers S.K. Kori, Gyaneshwar Kashyap, P.M. Kashyap, N.K. Jayant, R.K. Ratre, Samay Lal, K.P. Sant, T.R. Kunjam, G.S. Mandavi and S.K. Korram were also present.
The review comes as the state prepares to accelerate road restoration following the monsoon and start already-tendered construction works from October 15.
