PWD to spend Rs 1,000 crore to repair roads

October 23, 2013

By Express News Service – BANGALORE

The Public Works Department will spend `1,000 crore to repair highway networks, including district roads, damaged due to heavy rains.

Public Works Minister H C Mahadevappa told reporters here on Tuesday that the department officials are preparing an action plan in this regard. Later, it will be submitted to the Finance Department for release of funds, he added.

About 1,000 km of main district roads and 177 km of State Highway (SH) were damaged badly, the minister said adding the work of repair would be taken up on war footing and would be completed by the end of February.

He said the department has already taken up repair of over 3,000 km stretch of SH in phase I, which is in final stage of completion.

“The phase II will be taken up based on the availability of funds,” he added.

To a question, the minister said the government has cleared an arrears of `250 crore to contractors and another `850 crore yet to be paid.

“The government will take steps to see that all the arrears due to the contractors will be paid soon,” he said.

The Indian Road Congress and PWD are jointly organising a two-day workshop on promoting usage of new technologies, materials, techniques and equipments in road construction here from Wednesday.

Renowned engineers and experts will deliver lectures on the occasion.

Director, Quality, Research and Development, M/s Orafol Europe GmbH, Ireland, Daniel Berger, director Param Preet Singh and DGM Avantech Engineering Consortium, New Delhi, Vikant Raina will also take part in the event, he said.

An exhibition will also be organised on the occasion, he said.

Source-http://newindianexpress.com