Punjab CM Bhagwant Mann launches 44,920 km road project costing Rs 16,209 crore with five-year maintenance, world-class safety, and strict quality control.

Bhagwant Mann, the chief minister of Punjab, unveiled  a mammoth road construction program that will span the entire state and total 44,920 km at a project cost of Rs 16,209 crore. According to him, it will have a stringent maintenance condition and be finished by the end of next year.Speaking during a press conference on Saturday, Mann stated that a thorough inspection of all roads was conducted to determine which sections required upgrades, repairs, or widening. In addition to “world-class safety standards” like bright lanes and edge markers, all roads in villages, towns, and cities will be constructed with a five-year maintenance provision to guarantee lifespan and quality.

This will be the largest road development project Punjab has ever undertaken. It will strengthen rural infrastructure and increase mobility. in a cost of Rs 4,092 crore, the state government has already started building 19,373 kilometers of rural link roads, Mann stated, adding that work began on October 17 in Tarn Taran.”Govt began working on the project but the unprecedented devastation caused by the floods this year further eroded connectivity and mobility in affected areas,” the chief minister stated. Requests to build the same standard, high-quality roads in every city and town are flooding the administration.

“There is now a five-year maintenance clause. Only when all of the villages connected by that route have resolved that they are happy with the caliber of the work will payment be made to the contractor. The government will confirm a video posted by someone who is dissatisfied with the road’s quality,” he stated.

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“The ‘chief minister’s flying squad’ continues to closely monitor road quality,” Mann stated in response to a question. Some contractors’ contracts were terminated after complaints regarding the usage of inferior materials were received. Strict punishment will be taken against any contractor or government employee discovered to be involved in subpar work, the CM warned.

According to Mann, the state government is building all of these roads with its own money, and Punjab has not yet gotten a single penny of the Rural Development Fund (RDF) from the Center. The Punjab Mandi Board previously used the RDF monies to maintain the rural road network, particularly the sections that led to the grain markets.

No Center Funds for Flood Relief

Mann accused BJP leaders of fabricating claims by citing disparate data, claiming that the Center has not released a single cent of the Rs 1,600 crore special package announced for the state. “BJP leaders who assert that the state has got funding ought to be aware that these funds are a component of central programs that Punjab would have received regardless of the floods. Every state receives a portion of these payments. “The special package for flood relief does not include the funds that BJP leaders are referring to,” Mann stated.

Central Ministers Visit Us for Travel

Mann remarked that Union ministers continue to travel to Punjab “like tourists” in response to a query regarding Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan’s visit to Moga and Jalandhar on Thursday. It’s a nice spot; they come here to eat saag and makki di roti. No one takes them seriously when they say they will submit a report to the Center. All decisions are made by the Prime Minister and the Union Home Minister alone,” he stated.