Punjab to widen roads along canals

Chandigarh, September 2, 2012: The Punjab Government has decided to widen all the roads along the canals in the state with a view to upgrade this archaic road network besides providing better commuting facilities especially to the rural commuters.

Disclosing this, Sharanjit Singh Dhillon, PWD Minister, Punjab said that Punjab Government has also finalised the construction of new roads on the important routes along canals throughout the state and also issued directions to the officers of PWD to identify such important routes. He said that after completion of identification process, the construction of new roads would be started soon.

Explaining the details of ongoing identification process, Dhillon said that Punjab Government has executed the construction work on some prominent routes including Ropar-Neelon-Doraha canal-side and Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Singh Badal was recently laid the foundation stone on this route. He said that Deputy CM has also directed the concerned authorities to conclude the project within stipulated time period besides maintaining the quality of work.  

Informing about the steps taken for the purpose of quality control, Mr. Dhillon said that PWD department has taken this issue seriously and issued afresh directions to make the Quality Control Wing of the department more effective.  

He said that it has come into the notice of department that earlier the quality control wing had submitted false quality reports in connivance with field staff and they were used to blackmail the field officers by reviewing the status of completed projects after a long time of its construction. He said that now the Quality Control Wing would ensure the final checking of roads and building projects within six months of its construction. The Minister also said that state government also ordered to buy modern equipment to check the quality of roads and buildings to maintain the quality.

The Minister said that SAD-BJP Government was committed to get superior quality in all the construction projects and for this purpose a hi-tech Modern Mobile Quality Testing Lab was under construction, which would provide on the spot quality results in maximum tests.

Divulging the details of bringing further transparency in tendering process, Dhillon said that in future the tenders of link roads would be allocated Market Committee wise. He said that the patch works have also been started in the state for the long life of roads. He said that Chief Engineer, PWD has been directed to ensure the implementation and completion of patch work.