Pawan Gupta demands House Committee
Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Mar 18: The Government today admitted in the Legislative Assembly that blacktopping on an under-construction road was removed and wet mix macadam was re-laid when the authorities noticed defect in it while the BJP MLA from Udhampur West and former Minister Pawan Kumar Gupta described entire reply to his question given by the Minister as evasive and demanded constitution of a House Committee.
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Rural Development Minister Javed Ahmad Dar responded to the question of Gupta on behalf of Deputy Chief Minister, Incharge Works, Surinder Choudhary.
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Voicing concern over construction of sub standard roads, Gupta said the Minister has admitted that various contractors have been served notices for repairing defects and damages of roads but wanted to know what action has been taken against them.
He said he was not blaming the Minister as works were allotted long back and demanded setting up of a House Committee saying construction of sub standard roads is an invitation to the accidents.
“What measures have been taken to improve roads? What is the fun of our coming to the House if our queries are not to be replied properly?” Gupta asked. He charged the Government with protecting wrongdoings of bureaucrats and technocrats.
In his reply, Minister for Rural Development Department, Javed Ahmad Dar, informed the House that the roads being constructed by PMGSY in Udhampur West constituency are under Defect Liability Period (DLP) for a period of 5 years.
“If any damage is found after construction or during the maintenance period then it is being rectified by the contractor,” he added.
Dar said that the roads being executed in Udhampur West Assembly constituency under NABARD are in good condition and no substandard material has been used in PMGSY/NABARD roads.
However, the Minister informed that the blacktopping done on 7 km road from Kainthgali Block Boundary Udhampur to Bariote up to Moungri, currently under construction, was removed and wet mix macadam was re-laid when the authorities noticed defect in this entire 7 km road. He said that, as the weather improves, 50 mm thick bituminous macadam and 20 mm OGPC will be re-laid and whole rectification would be done by the concerned contractor.
The Minister informed the House that various contractors have been served notices for repairing defects and damages of roads during DLP. He said that the roads to be repaired under the Defect Liability Period (DLP) included road projects from Garhi to Gathiyal Morh, LO23- NH1A Km 63rd to Gandala, Gandala to Narore, Kainthgali Bariote Km 20th to Jesserkote, Moungri to Ladda, Kainthgali Bariote km 44 to Lali and Mir to Saroffti.
“The notices have been issued to the contractor for restoration of the damages and defects in these roads to facilitate seamless connectivity to the people,” Javed Dar said.
The Minister said that the NRIDA arranges third party technical assessment and external Quality Assurance by deploying National Quality Monitors, whose responsibility is to verify that the UT’s Quality Management is adequate in implementing the road infrastructure works.
Keeping the road safety measures in view, crash barriers have been installed at various vulnerable spots on a number of roads, added the Minister.
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