A slew of measures, including a road maintenance policy, is to be rolled out to ensure proper maintenance of roads under the Public Works Department (PWD) and to prevent illegal and unscientific digging of corridors.
While the government will take time to come out with a maintenance policy, the PWD has decided to designate a Chief Engineer (CE) as CE (Maintenance) to ensure maintenance of the roads. The CE will be provided supporting staff and infrastructure.
Announcing this at a press conference here on Wednesday, Minister for Public Works G. Sudhakaran said Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan has given the nod for the road maintenance policy.
Necessary equipment will be purchased after consulting Finance Minister T. M. Thomas Isaac to ensure that potholes are filled and roads repaired soon.
Henceforth, the detailed project report being prepared for road, building and bridge works executed by the PWD should have all the prescribed norms. The government will not allow revision of the sanctioned estimate for works. In addition to the three-year defect liability period, another four years of contract maintenance period will be launched.
The Minister said utility ducts had been made mandatory in all new roads to prevent the digging of roads for laying cables and other utilities of the KSEB, BSNL and KWA.
Covered drains with slabs will be another new feature of the roads. Cycle tracks will be provided in roads wherever land is available.
