7-member committee formed for policy on 'default liability period' of roads

Kolkata: A seven-member committee has been formed to prepare a policy on carrying out work during the "default liability period" of different projects mainly roads in case it gets damaged during "natural calamity".

Usually, the contractors who bag the job of constructing a stretch of road are entitled for its maintenance for the next three years from the completion of the construction work and the period for which a contractor is liable to carry out the maintenance work is known as "default liability period".

It may be mentioned that around 1,000 km road was affected due to the floods in 11 districts in both North and South Bengal. Some stretches out of this 1,000 km road was completely "washed away" or "partly washed away". The question came up in this connection that whether the roads that have been completely or partly washed away during the natural calamity will be reconstructed by the private contractors.

A team has been set up to frame a policy in this connection and it is comprised the engineer-in-chief, financial advisor and other senior officials of the PWD. Members of the committee will be holding a meeting soon.