Shillong, July 21: The Congress-led government has approved the Meghalaya Road Maintenance Policy.
Addressing reporters after a cabinet meeting here on Friday, Chief Minister, Mukul Sangma said that the policy has been scripted as a mechanism for ensuring complete road maintenance and management in a much more professional way.
“It will be identification of all projects to be taken up under the routine maintenance and emergency maintenance in the event of natural calamities,” he said.
He said that the policy would also facilitate better approach in respect of maintaining road infrastructure.
The chief minister said that the state government was investing in creating infrastructure with a special focus to ensure the most needed and important access to villages especially those considered the remotest and most difficult areas of the state.
“Besides the fund available with the state plan, we also have the fund dedicated for constructing rural roads under the PMGSY,” he said.
Sangma also underlined the need to sensitize contractors to be more professional, while referring to challenges being faced while implementing projects including PMGSY.
“One of the focuses of the government is to build the capacity of contractors and sentisise them to become more professional and provide all support systems to them,” he said.
Sangma also said that the government has also directed the PWD (Roads) to groom potential contractors and identify new contractors who can demonstrate quality and dedicated services.
Asked about punishing contractors who compromise quality when they construct roads, the Chief Minister said that under the policy, there is an empowered committee for monitoring road projects including quality management and quality evaluation.