Gandhinagar: A sum of Rs 3,440 crore has been approved for road resurfacing and quality improvement works to improve connectivity in remote villages, said the state govt on Wednesday.Speaking to reporters in Gandhinagar, govt spokesperson Jitu Vaghani said that resurfacing of around 5,700km of roads will be undertaken across the state. A total of 2,342 works across 33 districts have been approved, he added. Vaghani said that the govt has introduced new systems like output and performance-based contract (OPRC) and performance-based maintenance contracts (PBMC) in road construction. He added that under OPRC, projects worth over Rs 25 crore will be executed with a 10-year contract period (two years for construction and eight years for maintenance). Projects worth Rs 2 crore to Rs 25 crore will fall under PBMC, with a seven-year contract (one year for resurfacing and six years for maintenance), he added. Vaghani said contractors will now be made payments based on the quality and performance of roads rather than the quantity of work completed. Maintenance responsibilities will include not just the road surface but also drainage, road furniture, signboards, markings, and stones. He added that digital monitoring and performance indicators will bring greater transparency and accountability.
