New Delhi, Sept. 18 -- Public Works Department Minister Parvesh Sahib Singh inspected road resurfacing work at Africa Avenue past midnight on Thursday and set a November 30 deadline for improving 600 km of major roads across Delhi, while directing officials to maintain quality standards during the ongoing works.
During the surprise inspection, the minister reviewed the progress of resurfacing and directed officials to ensure that quality was not compromised. A third-party agency has also been deployed with specialised equipment to check the quality and thickness of road surfaces.
"Our target is clear, 600 km of Delhi's major roads will be improved by November 30. I have instructed officials that there will be no compromise on quality. Every road being resurfaced must meet the required standards, and the work must be completed within the deadline," Singh said.
The minister said contractors would be held accountable for the quality and long-term maintenance of the roads. Under the new conditions, agencies executing the works will also be responsible for maintaining the roads for five years after completion.
Explaining delays in resurfacing, Singh said disruptions in bitumen supply and a substantial increase in prices amid the global situation had affected the pace of work. "There was a disruption in bitumen supply and prices had increased substantially because of the global situation. This affected the pace of work. Fresh tenders have now been issued and work is being taken up again on a priority basis. We will make full use of the available working window before winter sets in," he said.
The PWD currently manages around 1,400 km of roads in Delhi, which are being taken up for improvement in phases. The department has directed officials to accelerate road works before severe winter conditions affect road-laying operations.
According to PWD orders issued in August, micro-surfacing of 28.155 km of roads in the South Zone has been sanctioned at a cost of Rs 12.33 crore. In the North Zone, Rs 48.04 crore has been sanctioned for micro-surfacing 152.409 km, while the East Zone has received approval of Rs 32.81 crore for 59.27 km.
Together, the three orders cover 239.834 km at a sanctioned cost of around Rs 93.18 crore.
The North Zone sanction order also lays down a specific condition for roads still under the Defect Liability Period. Before taking up micro-surfacing on such stretches, field divisions have been directed to examine the relevant contract and certify that the work is not meant to rectify defects attributable to defective workmanship or materials of the contractor. As per the order they must also ensure that any expenditure contractually recoverable from the contractor is not borne by the government.
Published by HT Digital Content Services with permission from Millennium Post.