March 31 deadline for 62 NH project works

Tribune News Service

Shimla, January 15

Apart from asking the PWD to prepare a road map for connecting all panchayats and villages, Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur today fixed March 31 as deadline for the PWD to appoint consultants for preparing the detailed project reports (DPRs) of 62 national highways (NHs) notified by the Centre in the state.

Reviewing the progress of PWD projects at a meeting here, the CM said the DPRs need to be prepared in time and the work would be started at the earliest.

He said the department should fix a target to construct roads in a financial year and it should achieve the target. The government would not compromise on the quality of work and delaying tactics.

PWD officials informed the CM that 170 DPRs amounting to Rs 634 crore were under process. Besides, there were 26 bridges and 16 road project reports and improvement of 17 black spot project reports worth Rs 487.21 crore were being sent to the Union Ministry of Road Transport and Highways for approval.

Under the Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojna (PMGSY), DPRs amounting to Rs 384 crore had been sent to the Centre for approval.

Chief Secretary Vineet Chawdhry directed the PWD to speed up bridge construction and install signage on the NHs. Citing example of the Shimla-Parwanoo four lane project, he said the signage should be erected displaying inconvenience to commuters regretted. He also directed to display the name of the contractor, value of work and the project name on boards on the road projects too on the pattern of the PMGSY and NABARD roads.

Additional Chief Secretary, PWD, Anil Khachi said the PWD had prepared the vision document 2017 for connecting each village with road.