Srinagar, Mar 18: Deputy Chief Minister Surinder Kumar Choudhary on Tuesday informed the House that all road projects in Udhampur West Assembly Constituency under PMGSY and NABARD have been constructed as per technical specifications and material quality guidelines. He stated that there are no reports of substandard work, and necessary repairs are being carried out where required.
The statement came in response to a starred question raised by MLA Pawan Kumar Gupta, who sought clarification on whether the roads built under these schemes met the prescribed standards. He also inquired about any reported deficiencies in construction quality and the measures being taken to address them.
Responding to these concerns, Dy CM Choudhary, who holds the portfolio of Public Works (R&B), said that the roads constructed under PMGSY and NABARD have been built according to the prescribed guidelines. “All roads remain under the Defect Liability Period (DLP) for five years, during which any defects or damages are repaired by the contractor at their own expense,” he said.
Choudhary informed the House that no significant deficiencies have been found so far. However, he acknowledged that some defects were identified on the road from Kainthgali Block Boundary Udhampur to Bariote up to Moungri (Part-I) under package number JK14-683. “The blacktopping in the first seven kilometers of this road was found to have issues, which led to its removal and re-laying with Wet Mix Macadam. Once the weather improves, 50 mm thick Bituminous Macadam and 20 mm OGPC will be reapplied at the contractor’s cost,” he said.
He added that notices have been issued to contractors for repair and maintenance of several other roads under the Defect Liability Period. These include Garhi to Gathyal Morh road, L023-NH1A Km 63rd to Gandala road, Gandala to Narore road, Kainthgali Bariote road (Km 20th to Jasserkote), Moungri to Ladda road, Kainthgali Bariote road (Km 44th to Lali), and Mir to Saroffti road. “Contractors have assured that maintenance work, including blacktopping and pothole filling, will be carried out once weather conditions are favourable,” he said.
The Deputy Chief Minister said that road projects under PMGSY are subject to third-party technical assessments by National Quality Monitors (NQMs). “The quality of materials and workmanship is evaluated, and if any part is found unsatisfactory, it is rectified by the contractor without additional cost,” he said.
Addressing road safety concerns, Choudhary said no violations regarding minimum berm width, shoulder width, or blind curves have been reported. “Crash barriers have been installed at critical points to improve safety,” he added.
He said the government remains focused on maintaining road quality and ensuring accountability in construction and maintenance work.
