The Public Works Department (PWD) will ensure that civil works are awarded only to competent contractors, since many of them abandon works halfway citing financial crises, Minister for Public Works G. Sudhakaran has said.
“On their part, contractors must not bid for projects that they cannot execute. Seventy per cent of works exceed the time limit set in the contract, and this trend must stop. No PWD work must suffer delay,” he said. The Minister was inaugurating the regional design office of the PWD at Pathadipalam on Friday.
Mr. Sudhakaran exhorted PWD officials to ensure that modern technologies were adopted for works undertaken by them for their speedy completion with least disturbance to road users. They must adhere to quality standards too.
Care must also be given to aesthetics and prompt maintenance of roads, bridges, and buildings. The PWD has given shape to a ₹45,000-crore project to improve basic infrastructure in the State. Another ₹450 crore is being spent on maintenance and repairs.
Till now, the PWD had a centralised design wing in Thiruvananthapuram. Apart from Kochi, a regional office will function in Kozhikode to avoid delay in undertaking works. The emphasis on better design and quality is in keeping with the department’s policy of ‘adopting better construction methods to keep up with the times’. Henceforth, the regional design offices will execute the design of structures under their respective jurisdictions.
Expressing concern over the shabby upkeep of structures and property owned by the PWD, the Minister told officials to take up the matter seriously. He also directed them to prevent encroachments on public spaces.
K.V. Thomas, MP, presided over the function which was attended by Kalamassery municipal chairperson Jessy Peter and PWD chief engineers in charge of quality and design.
