Centre dissatisfied with quality of roads constructed under PMGSY

Mohinder Verma
JAMMU, Oct 5: Expressing dissatisfaction over the quality of roads constructed under the Prime Minister Gramin Sadak Yojana (PMGSY), the Union Government has asked the State Government to take corrective action to ensure that the quality of the roads is of high standards as envisaged under the programme.
In its latest report, the Union Ministry of Rural Development has pointed out that as against 120 inspections of completed road works by the State Quality Monitors (SQMs), in 3.33 % cases quality of works has been found unsatisfactory. Similarly, against 1279 inspections of ongoing road works carried out by the State Quality Monitors, in 1.33% cases quality of works has been found unsatisfactory.
However, during the National Quality Monitors (NQMs) inspections, the percentage of cases having unsatisfactory quality of works was found at the higher side. Against 23 inspections of the completed road works in 30% cases quality of works was found unsatisfactory for which the Union Ministry has asked for immediate corrective action.
Similarly, against 247 inspections of the ongoing road works in 11% cases quality of works has been found unsatisfactory by the NQMs.
The Ministry has asked the State Government to take corrective action and ensure that the quality of the roads constructed under the flagship scheme of Union Government is of high standards as envisaged under the programme, official sources said.
They informed that Ministry has also asked the State to strictly adhere to the online management, monitoring and accounting of the programme, which is one of the important objective envisaged in the PMGSY guidelines. “The State is required to keep the data updated on the web-based system called OMMAS”, sources said quoting the Ministry’s directive to the State.
As far as completion of works is concerned, the Ministry has observed that as against 1984 road works including bridges sanctioned till July 2013, 1194 are yet to be constructed. As per the completion plan furnished to the Union Ministry, the State had to complete 230 road works during January-July 2013 period but it could complete only 102 works during this period thereby failing to meet even 50% target set by none else than the State itself.
According to the report, the gap between the number of roads sanctioned and the number of roads completed, which was zero in 2000-01 has gone up to 1170 till two months back. Similarly, gap between the length of road works approved and length of road works completed has gone up to 2230.32 kilometers during this period.
The Ministry has asked the State to take urgent steps to send the completion plan indicating the probable timeframe for completion of 1194 roads.
It is pertinent to mention here that the primary objective of the PMGSY is to provide connectivity by way of an all weather road with necessary culverts and cross drainage structures to the eligible unconnected habitations.

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