State roads network to be strengthened: Sukhbir

CHANDIGARH, July 15: Punjab Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Singh Badal today asked authorities concerned to accomplish re-carpeting and strengthening of existing road network in the state by the end of this year. While presiding over a review meeting in this regard here today, Badal accompanied by PWD Minister Janmeja Singh Sekhon said that all the roads in the state would be potholes free, fully repaired and well constructed by the end of this year. He said roads having more than 35,000 km network like state highways, link roads and rural roads would be given a facelift. He also directed that those roads, which require complete overhaul, should be reconstructed with modern techniques. It was also informed in the meeting that all rural roads would be repaired and reconstructed under rural mission at a cost of more than Rs 1,550 crore. Badal also said Punjab government has decided that the construction of roads would be duly inspected by the concerned panchayats or municipal authorities to ensure the quality of work. He said that concerned authority under whose jurisdiction the construction of road took place would issue a certificate to the construction agency for transparency in the work. "Only if the supervision of the work is found good, the agency would receive a certificate from the panchayats or urban local bodies," he said. Further, with an aim to bring more transparency in the construction of roads, it was announced that a third party audit of road construction work would also be conducted.