LUCKNOW, May 8 -- In a move aimed at strengthening quality checks in public infrastructure, the Uttar Pradesh government has decided to involve Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs) and other premier technical institutions for third-party quality audits (TPQA) of construction works across the state, covering roads, bridges, water supply pipelines and sewer networks. The state finance department has issued a government order laying down a standard operating procedure (SOP) for TPQA to ensure better monitoring of construction quality in government projects. "To ensure the quality of construction works of various roads, bridges, water supply pipelines, and sewer pipelines in the state, it has been decided that TPQA of the concerned projects shall be conducted through various technical institutions," the government order issued by Deepak Kumar, additional chief secretary, finance stated. As per the SOP, technical institutions have been empanelled division-wise and based on project cost for carrying out TPQA across departments. For projects worth above Rs 100 crore, IIT Kanpur will conduct audits in Kanpur, Lucknow, Banda, Prayagraj, Ayodhya and Devipatan divisions. IIT-BHU Varanasi has been assigned Basti, Gorakhpur, Azamgarh, Varanasi and Mirzapur divisions, while IIT Delhi will oversee Meerut, Aligarh, Jhansi and Agra divisions. IIT Roorkee will handle Saharanpur, Moradabad and Bareilly divisions. For projects between Rs 25 crore and Rs 100 crore, audits will be carried out by institutions including Motilal Nehru National Institute of Technology (MNNIT), Prayagraj; Aligarh Muslim University (AMU), Aligarh; Harcourt Butler Technical University (HBTU), Kanpur; and Madan Mohan Malaviya University of Technology (MMMUT), Gorakhpur. Projects worth up to Rs 25 crore will be audited by state engineering institutions including AKTU Lucknow, Government Engineering Colleges in Banda, Sonbhadra, Kannauj, Pratapgarh, Ambedkarnagar, Azamgarh, Mainpuri and Bijnor, along with KNIT Sultanpur and BIET Jhansi. The order states that if any empanelled institution is unable to undertake TPQA, the planning department will submit a proposal to the finance department for reassignment. To conduct TPQA, the administrative department concerned will sign an MoU with the affiliated institution. During construction, the institution must conduct at least five physical inspections, with reports to be submitted to the nodal officer within one month of inspection. The responsibility for implementing technical recommendations will rest with the administrative department and executing agency. A monitoring committee headed by the additional chief secretary, principal secretary or secretary of the department will review compliance and oversee the submission of action taken reports (ATR). The government has also provided for an annual review mechanism to assess the performance of empanelled institutions and consider addition or removal of institutions under the TPQA framework....