Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur while expressing concern over the conditions of roads, directed the officers particularly Chief Engineers and Superintending Engineers to regularly visit the field and review progress of maintenance of roads in the State. Jai Ram Thakur was presiding over the meeting with the officers of Public Works Department virtually from Shimla today.Chief Minister said that Chief Engineers must regularly monitor the progress of maintenance in their respective zones and higher authorities must regularly be made aware of the same. He said that delay in floating tenders for tarring of roads would be viewed seriously and stern action would be taken against defaulting officers.
He said that special thrust must also be laid on quality work so that commuters do not face any inconvenience. Jai Ram Thakur said that roads are the lifelines of Himachal Pradesh as there were limited means of connectivity due to its hilly terrains and the State Government was according top priority for construction and maintenance of the roads. He directed the officers to put earnest efforts to improve the conditions of roads by execution of periodic renewal, patchwork, metalling and tarring of PMGSY, NABARD and other roads so that commuters could travel comfortably. He said that all tenders for repairs, renewal and blacktopping of roads should be completed well in time so that works could be started at the earliest to facilitate the people.
Chief Minister said that Public Works Department has achieved 75 percent of the targets fixed for State and PMGSY roads under Annual Maintenance Plan 2021-22 by undertaking works on 1798 kilometers of roads by spending an amount of Rs. 228 crore. He said that a target of 1950.59 kilometers has been fixed under Annual Maintenance Plan 2022-23 for maintenance and other allied activities of the State and PMGSY roads. Jai Ram Thakur said that there were 131 plants in the State for undertaking bituminous activities out of which 63 plants had started their functioning. He directed the officers to start the remaining plants at the earliest so that people could undertake their journey comfortably.
Principal Secretary PWD Subhasish Panda while welcoming the Chief Minister assured him that efforts would be made to achieve the targets within the stipulated time period. Chief Secretary Ram Subhag Singh and other senior officers were present with the Chief Minister whereas all the Chief Engineers, Superintending Engineers and Executive Engineers attended the meeting virtually from their respective places.
