Punjab CM launches rural link roads repair, upgrade project worth over Rs 4,000 crore
Tarn Taran (Punjab): Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann on Friday launched a project to repair and upgrade 19,491.56 kilometres of rural link roads in the state at a cost of Rs 4,150.42 crore.
Addressing a gathering, Mann said it is a historic day, especially for the rural areas of Punjab as the repair and upgradation work of rural link roads is being initiated.
The Punjab government has taken another historic decision as now, along with repairing these link roads, their maintenance will also be ensured for the next five years by the contractors, he said.
There are total 30,237 link roads in Punjab with a total length of 64,878 kilometres, adding that 33,492 kilometres are under Punjab Mandi Board and 31, 386 kilometres are under the Public Works Department (PWD).
He said his government is now starting a project to repair and upgrade 7,373 link roads with a total length of 19,491.56 kilometres.
Mann said the project will cost Rs 4,150.42 crore, which includes five years of maintenance, adding that Rs 3,424.67 crore will be spent for repair and upgradation while Rs 725.75 crore will be spent for five-year maintenance. Mann said the e-tendering process for the repair and upgradation of these roads has been completed and the entire work will be done in a transparent and corruption free manner.
He said an artificial intelligence (AI) survey was conducted for these roads, which resulted in savings of Rs 383.53 crore. The CM said to ensure public safety during foggy or dark conditions, a special road safety project is being implemented on the repaired and upgraded link roads at a cost Rs 91.83 crore. A three-inch wide white strip will be painted on both sides of the link roads to make travel safer during fog or darkness, he added.
For the first time, after every two kilometers on all link roads, citizen informatory sign boards will be installed, he said, adding that these boards will display the road name, length, executing agency, and other important information about the road to ensure greater transparency in the system.
