Chandigarh: Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann on Thursday ordered the issuance of a showcause notice to a contractor and directed that all payments to him be withheld after irregularities were detected in the construction of the Reetkheri Link Road in Patiala district.
Mann, who conducted a surprise inspection of the under-construction stretch, expressed strong displeasure over the contractor’s failure to comply with the stipulated weight parameters, which came to light after road samples were tested. He instructed officials to immediately serve a showcause notice and stop the contractor’s payments. The Chief Minister also inspected the under-construction Patiala–Sirhind Road and asked officers to have the samples tested in a laboratory. In addition, he reviewed the Rurki–Reona Plan Road work in Fatehgarh Sahib district.
The CM said the purpose behind these surprise inspections is to ensure quality across all road projects in the state. He said that the government is spending substantial public funds, and therefore, strict monitoring is essential to guarantee that “high quality roads are constructed in the state.”
Mann urged people to keep a close watch on ongoing road construction in their areas. He said the public should treat the infrastructure as their own property and immediately inform the government if they notice any irregularities. He assured that “severest of severe action” would be taken against any contractor found violating norms.
He said it was a matter of immense pride that Punjab has undertaken the “largest” road development programme in its history, targeting the construction of 44,920 km of roads at a cost of Rs 16,209 crore. He said that by the end of next year, roadwork across all villages, towns and cities would be completed, with each project carrying a five-year maintenance clause to ensure top-quality and world-class safety features.