AAP calls for utmost accountability in road construction projects

Jammu, Nov 08: AamAadmi Party’s (AAP) senior leader, DDC member and co-incharge of State Coordination Committee, Mehraj Malik Tuesday hit hard at Jammu and Kashmir Government as well as BharatiyaJanata Party (BJP) Government for failure to ensure transparency and accountability in road construction projects in Jammu and Kashmir terming dilapidated condition of roads within months and a couple of years of construction as sign of failure and bad quality work.
In a press statement Mehraj Malik said that surface transportation is having more vital importance in Jammu and Kashmir as the area is hilly in topography and only surface transportation is means of inter-district connectivity in most of the areas amid absence of railway lines and airport facilities in seventy percent of the districts.
“Roads in hilly regions are the only source of connectivity and their good condition is pivotal not only to ensure proper connectivity but also for preventing accidents which take place due to bad road conditions,” AamAadmi Party leader mentioned in the statement.
He further said that the condition of the road network is unsatisfactory in hilly districts of Jammu and Kashmir and especially in Chenab valley and PirPanjal region of Jammu province where hundreds of roads have been lying incomplete for years.
“The biggest failure of Government is to ensure transparency, accountability and good quality work of road construction in Jammu and Kashmir and this is evident from the fact that most of the roads turn dilapidated within months or a couple of years of completion which shows that quality of work executed during construction of road was of poor quality,” said Malik.
Calling for more transparency and accountability in the road construction sector, he said that the Jammu and Kashmir Government should ensure that there remains utmost transparency and accountability in road construction works so that roads remain in good condition.
He further said that stern action should immediately be initiated against contractors as well as engineers if a road turns dilapidated after completion.
AAP leader further mentioned about poor implementation of contractors responsibility period clause and said that some Government schemes, especially PMGSY, have a specific norm under which a contractor is responsible for any damage to road but this is not being implemented properly to favour the contractors whose specific amount remains with the department till completion of this period.
“Surface connectivity in Jammu and Kashmir should be given top priority in terms of public services and good roads should be ensured so that people can get a good road to travel and accidents can also be reduced,” AamAadmi Party leader further mentioned.