Punjab CM Bhagwant Mann (File photo)
Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann on Friday launched a project to repair and upgrade 19,491.56 kilometers of rural link roads in the state at a cost of Rs 4,150.42 crore.Addressing a gathering, Mann said it is a historic day, especially for the rural areas of Punjab as the repair and upgradation work of rural link roads is being initiated.The Punjab government has taken another historic decision as now, along with repairing these link roads, their maintenance will also be ensured for the next five years by the contractors, he said.There are total 30,237 link roads in Punjab with a total length of 64,878 kilometers, adding that 33,492 kilometres are under Punjab Mandi Board and 31, 386 kilometers are under the Public Works Department (PWD).He said his government is now starting a project to repair and upgrade 7,373 link roads with a total length of 19,491.56 kilometers.Mann said the project will cost Rs 4,150.42 crore, which includes five years of maintenance, adding that Rs 3,424.67 crore will be spent for repair and upgradation while Rs 725.75 crore will be spent for five-year maintenance.Mann said the e-tendering process for the repair and upgradation of these roads has been completed and the entire work will be done in a transparent and corruption free manner.He said an artificial intelligence (AI) survey was conducted for these roads, which resulted in savings of Rs 383.53 crore. The chief minister said to ensure public safety during foggy or dark conditions, a special road safety project is being implemented on the repaired and upgraded link roads at a cost Rs 91.83 crore. A three-inch wide white strip will be painted on both sides of the link roads to make travel safer during fog or darkness, he added.For the first time, after every two kilometers on all link roads, citizen informatory sign boards will be installed, he said, adding that these boards will display the road name, length, executing agency, and other important information about the road to ensure greater transparency in the system.These link roads are the arteries of economic growth in the state as they help the people residing in rural areas to commute on one hand and give impetus to trade and business on the other, he said.Mann asked the Punjab Mandi Board and PWD to ensure high quality of the work, besides ensuring that every penny allocated for that project was invested in a justified manner.Targeting opposition parties, Mann said the people of the state have lost their faith in the traditional political parties because of their “anti-people and anti-Punjab stance”.The state government will adopt no leniency towards those who were the perpetrators behind the genocide of youth through the curse of drugs, the chief minister said.
