Minister for Public Works V.K. Ebrahim Kunju has said about 100 kms of roads in the district have been washed away or damaged in the heavy downpour during the past two months.
Addressing media persons after a review meeting with representatives of the people, officials of the district administration and the Public Works Department here on Sunday, he said Rs.36 crore would be allocated to the district for the repair of such roads and to make them mortorable.
On the basis of the assurance given to him by the PWD officials at the meeting, the Minister said that all damaged road would be repaired within three weeks. The allocated amount would be utilised to carry out 239 separate works.
But an additional amount would be allocated for Kollam city because it was brought to light at the meeting that some of the roads in the city had been very badly damaged.
The amount would be decided after the estimate was taken. Lack of proper roadside drainage infrastructure was the main cause for the roads getting washed away during rains, he said.
The PWD had been asked to identify locations in the district where roads could be laid with concrete interlocking slabs, he said.
The government was also seriously intervening to bring about changes in the PWD road laying specifications.
The State government also called for a report on roads laid or resurfaced within a year that had got destroyed in the rains.
A probe would be launched into the causes for such destruction and the contractors concerned would be directed to repair them at their own costs.
If contractors refused, they would be blacklisted. If PWD officials were found to be responsible for the situation, disciplinary action would be initiated against them, the Minister said.
