Ludhiana: With an inquiry against poor quality road work being initiated against MC officials, the SDO and JE of bridges and road department of the MC met cabinet minister Bharat Bhushan Ashu, mayor Balkar Sandhu and MC commissioner Pardeep Sabharwal and mentioned that the inquiry should be conducted when work was in progress.
Claiming that the current inquiry had been initiated on the basis of a complaint by an RTI activist who ‘wanted to create’ pressure on the officials, they in the memorandum mentioned that the quality of roads could be checked only up to a certain time. And if three to four year old roads are to be checked the results might be inaccurate. They said if the ongoing works would be checked then the quality would show an improvement.
Ashu, however, clarified that he would not ask MC commissioner to stop an inquiry and reiterated that there should be strictness, so that the quality of road works improve. He asked the SDO and JEs to explain if the works were done properly and if everything was in order then there was no need for them to be afraid of. Ashu said instead it should be the contractor who should be concerned about the inquiry and the quality of work, ‘but here surprisingly the staff was worried about the inquiry’. Ashu asked the commissioner to make zonal commissioners accountable for road works as well, so that there should be no compromise with quality.
Meanwhile, mayor Balkar Sandhu said the last time he had asked the SDOs to remain present in field when patch work was to be carried out, but now when patch work started no one turned up. While stating that no compromise was to be made with regard to the quality, he mentioned that public’s hard earned money could not be wasted.
Staff to remain in field for two hours a day
MC commissioner Pardeep Sabharwal said he was going to make it compulsory for the officials to remain in the field for two hours in a day for checking of ongoing works. There will be daily reporting of their field works. This is being done to ensure the quality of ongoing works.
RTI activist Rohit Sabharwal had complained against 13 roads in various areas for poor quality. Additional commissioner Rishipal Singh marked an inquiry and also demanded records from various officials about those roads, but despite reminders the officials did not send the record of these works, rather they approached the mayor and cabinet minister to save their skin. The civic body is spending large amount on the construction of roads but quality of road remains under scanner.