KWA, PWD reach a PRICE truce

Software to sort out disputes

Locked in a tussle over the cutting up of roads for pipeline work, the Kerala Water Authority (KWA) and the Public Works Department (PWD) have decided to take the ‘e-way’ to sort out disputes and delays.

Both departments have agreed to employ the PRICE (project information and cost estimation) software, which they use for preparing project estimates and issuing online approvals, for the purpose. The National Informatics Centre (NIC) has been assigned the job of integrating KWA and PWD offices in all 14 districts online, a KWA official said.

Govt. sets up panel

The State government has also set up a panel headed by B. Ashok, Secretary, Water Resources, for preparing the road map and action plan for the project.

Moving to the online platform is expected to avert blame games and speed up permits for ‘road cutting’ work. Now, this is a time-consuming process. Under the new system, KWA and PWD officers will undertake site inspections jointly and paperwork will migrate online, which will speed things up, a KWA official said.

This is also the latest in a series of measures adopted by the KWA to avoid disputes with the PWD over road-cutting.

Following incidents where KWA officials were summoned to police stations over disputes, the KWA had asked its officers to strictly adhere to norms when carrying out leak-rectification work.

A circular was also issued, on December 27, 2019, laying out detailed guidelines for the restoration of roads after pipeline-related works.