GUIDELINES REVISED UNDER PRADHAN MANTRI
GRAM SADAK YOJANA – ANANTH KUMAR
3-TIER
QUALITY CONTROL SYSTEM FOR RURAL ROADS
PARLIAMENTARY
CONSULTATIVE COMMITTEE OF RURAL DEVELOPMENT MINISTRY MEETS
Ministry of Rural
Development has revised guidelines and established several new
standards in its endeavour to construct roads of the highest possible
quality under Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana (PMGSY). A Standard
Bidding Document has been prepared and is being sent to all the
States for use in all PMGSY roads. This was informed by Shri Ananth
Kumar, Minister for Rural Development while addressing Consultative
Committee Meeting attached to his Ministry here today. Emphasising
the need for Standard transparent tendering procedures for rural
roads, the Minister informed that now the tender will be invited
for construction as well as maintenance for the road work for
five years including the liability of the defects for five years.
The technical qualification of the contractor in terms of the
bidding capacity, the experience of civil engineering works and
in relevant field, possession of requisite machinery and equipments
and financial capacity etc. will be evaluated before opening of
the financial offer. Shri Annasaheb. M.K. Patil and Shri U.V.
Krishnam Raju, Ministers of State for Rural Development were also
present there.
Highlighting initiatives
taken under PMGSY, the Minister informed that for the first time
systematic District Rural Roads Plans have been prepared listing
out the complete network of all roads in the district i.e. Village
Roads, Major District Roads, State Roads and National Highways.
The concept of Core Network has been operationalised for the first
time in order to focus on the set of roads which are considered
essential to provide connectivity to all habitations of the desired
size. A 3-tier quality control system has been put in place and
State and National Quality Monitors is being enforced. Third tier
of Quality Control Mechanism is being managed by the National
Rural Roads Development Agency(NRRDA). National Quality Monitors(NQM)
are sent to various Districts and States every month. The National
Quality Monitor is required to spend three days in every District
inspecting normally between two to four works on each day. Till
the end of February, 2003, a total of 5393 works have been inspected
by NQMs.
Shri Ananth Kumar
told that so far project proposals for Phase-I (2000-01), Phase-II
(2001-02 & 2002-03) and for five States in Phase-III (2003-04)
have been cleared under the PMGSY. In the year 2000-01, Project
Proposals for Rs. 2490.40 crore were cleared by the Ministry.
The State Governments/Union Territories have reported an expenditure
of Rs. 2110.67 crore up to February, 2003 and 11698 road works
out of 13070 road works taken up in the year 2000-01 have been
completed and other are expected to be completed by March, 2003.
Ministry cleared
Project Proposals for Rs. 5167.67 crore pertaining to 28 States
and 5 Union Territories under Phase-II ( 2001-02 & 2002-03).
The State Governments/UTs have reported an expenditure/value of
work done of Rs. 1796.32 crore up to February, 2003, out of Rs.
2489.73 crore released in last quarter of 2001-02. The road works
cleared in the year 2001-02 are expected to be, by and large,
completed by June, 2003. 1063 road works have been completed upto
February, 2003 while work is in progress on the remaining roads.
During 2002-03, Rs. 2077.39 crore was released between December
2002 and March 2003 for the works cleared in Phase II.
For Phase-III (2003-04)
project proposals from 5 states (Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Chattisgarh,
Haryana & Mizoram), which were received upto March, 2003,
have been considered and cleared by the Ministry.
Shri Ananth Kumar
informed that the World Bank and the Asian Development Bank have
agreed to fund the programme. ADB funding for a project of $500
million (approximately Rs. 2500 crore) is expected to commence
from the year 2003-04. The two States proposed to be covered under
the first ADB project are Madhya Pradesh and Chattisgarh. The
World Bank is also likely to begin funding projects from 2003-04.
The World Bank have indicated the size of the first project to
be about $ 300 million covering four States of Uttar Pradesh,
Rajasthan, Jharkhand and Himachal Pradesh. This would be the first
in series of loans for the PMGSY.
Participating in
the discussions Member pointed out that the proposals listed by
the Members of Parliament on the PMGSY are not taken into consideration.
They suggested a uniform average cost of construction. Members
also pointed out that the district level monitoring committees
should meet at regular intervals. It was also suggested that the
release of funds made by the Ministry has to be communicated to
the concerned Member of Parliament simultaneously and reports
submitted by National Quality Monitors also to be sent to MPs.
Shri Annasaheb Patil, Minister of State for Rural Development
replied that all the necessary information regarding rural roads
will be sent in a separate booklet in regional languages to the
MPs. He said 80% of the rural road funds go to the new connectivity.
He said Ministry will give priority to connect hilly and tribal
areas. The Members appreciated initiatives taken by Rural Development
Ministry.
Members of Parliament
who attended today’s meeting are: Shri P.S. Gadhavi, Shri Raghuraj
Singh Shakya, Shri Y.V. Rao, Shri Shivaji Mane, Shri Bheru Lal
Meena, Shri E. Ponnuswamy, Shri Dalit Ezhilmalai, Shri M.D. Mistry,
Shri P.R. Kyndiah, Shri S. Gokula Indira, Shri M.K. Patel, Shri
A.F. Golam Osmani, Shri R.D.D Patel, Shri P.D. Elangovan, Shri
Saif-ud-Din-Soz and Shri B.B. Patil.
