Aimed at ensuring durable and designed roads that can brave the elements, the government has in the Budget specifically mentioned a slew of measures to overcome teething issues that necessitate frequent repair works.
Techniques such as full-depth reclamation, cold recycling, thin white-topping, geotextiles, bitumen- plastic-rubber mixture etc., will be extensively used. “We must also stop the tendency to wait until the roads get damaged for maintenance works,” Finance Minister T.M. Thomas Isaac said pointing to the necessity of preventive-maintenance of roads. A total of 8,383 km roads will be completed in the 2021-22 fiscal. One-fourth of this will be KIIFB-Rebuild (Kerala) designed roads, public works, including KIIFB, Rebuild (Kerala), KSTP and annuity schemes worth around Rs.25,000 crore are progressing under various schemes. In 2021-22, works worth ₹10,000 crore will be completed. An amount of ₹910 crore is earmarked from Plan (funds). A total of ₹1,123 crore is earmarked as non-Plan (expenditure) for maintenance and clearing old bills, the budget says.
Rural roads
A timely step has been taken to ensure quality of rural roads as well, with sharing of funds on ward basis being cited as an undesirable trend. The remedy is to prepare a plan for roads for five years. Plans can thus be taken on a priority basis, ensuring development in every ward.
