ITANAGAR, Sep 16: Chief Minister Pema Khandu has urged the engineers of the public works department (PWD) to “avoid closed-door dealings, and work in a transparent manner.”
Chairing a review meeting of the department at the state banquet hall here on Monday, Khandu asked the engineers to be determined to “thwart interventions by people in power, and usher quality of works being executed by the department.”
Khandu, who also holds the charge of the PWD, was hinting at reported interference by political leaders in the department’s tendering processes.
He said the superintending engineers (SE) and the executive engineers (EE) should remain updated on the status of each and every project, big or small, and that they must regularly visit every work site to check on the progress of the works.
Expressing resentment over the “involvement of officers in petty politics which results in juniors getting appointed to higher posts on officiating basis,” Khandu said his government is committed to end the practice and conduct regular DPC meetings henceforth.
The chief minister, along with PWD Commissioner Belatee Pertin and Secretary YW Ringu went through the presentations made by the SEs of each circle, and the status of projects under various schemes was discussed.
Khandu specifically sought the status of sick road projects like Tamen-Tali, Tamen-Dollungmukh, etc, and called for early solution to the hurdles.
Admitting that the work on four-laning the capital’s highway is not progressing well, Khandu said the department proposes to have a “final meeting” with the contractor by October end and decide on further action.
Officers of the PWD’s highway division informed that tenders have been floated for the Potin-Pangin TAH, which has been sanctioned in nine packages by the MoRTH, and that expression of interest to prepare the DPR for the Dirang-Vijoynagar highway has already been invited by the MoRTH and the proposal for the East-West Corridor (1046.80 kms) under the Bharatmala scheme has been submitted to the MoRTH for approval.
The matter of taking over of the PWD roads by the RWD under the PMGSY was also raised, at which the CM directed the EEs concerned to “urgently submit the details for the government to find a solution.”
Other departmental issues like shortage of manpower, both technical and non-technical, lack of office buildings, etc, were also highlighted.
Expressing disagreement with the existence of engineering wings in non-engineering departments like tourism, education, sports, etc, Khandu said the government is “committed to dissolve all such wings.”
“We have started the process, and the engineering wing of the tourism department will be the first in line,” he said.
Khandu, however, assured that all in-service engineers and officials of such wings would be “taken care of by the government.”
“Those who are on deputation will be restored to their parent departments, and others will be adjusted in various departments as per eligibility, seniority and feasibility,” he added.
SIDP&P CE Atop Lego explained the provisions of the Arunachal Pradesh State Road (Regulation and Development) Act, 2015, and highlighted the objectives of the Chief Minister’s Comprehensive State Road Development and Building Infrastructure Development Plan 2019-24.
All CEs, SEs and EEs of the department were present at the meeting. (CMO)
