Government to bring policy on road maintenance

Thiruvananthapuram: Minister for Public Works G. Sudhakaran told the Assembly on Monday that the government would bring a policy on maintenance of roads shortly.

Replying to the demand for grants for Public Works, the Minister said that maintenance works would be brought under a Chief Engineer with adequate staff at various levels.

Mr. Sudhakaran said that plastic or rubber along with bitumen and geotextiles would be used for all roads. The government had already sought 5000 tonnes of rubberised bitumen for road works.

He said that roads would be cleared of encroachments under the Highway Protection Act which had come into force.  Work had already started for four-laning of national highway from Kaliyikavila to Kasaragod.

He said that the government was not satisfied of the current State of affairs of Kerala State Transport Project. Measures would be taken to improve the situation.

He noted that 40 per cent of the funds spend on public works were being siphoned off by contractors, officials and politicians. This situation was being checked. Comprehensive enquiry had been ordered into diversion of tar allocated for main road works. Contractors were not buying any tar for rural roads but were using tar diverted from those brought for major road works.

He said that maintenance works on roads to Sabarimala would be completed by October 30—well ahead of the pilgrimage season.

The House later passed the demand for grants totalling Rs. 1977.92 crores for the current year.