Gandhinagar: Chief minister Bhupendra Patel on Thursday told officers and employees of the roads and buildings (R&B) department that they would have to take collective responsibility for the quality of their work, saying he gets the credit when projects are executed well but has to face angry citizens when shoddy work causes inconvenience.Addressing the department’s first Chintan Shibir at Mahatma Mandir Convention Centre, Patel said mistakes could be overlooked, but deliberate dereliction of duty will not. He also stressed that officers should discharge their responsibilities without waiting for instructions from superiors.“I get the credit for the good work that you do. I must also take brickbats for your shoddy work. I am the one who has to listen to complaints on your behalf. People complain angrily about shoddy work by the R&B department, and I have to listen to them. Do I come and complain to you about why you have done such work,” Patel asked.He added, “Making a mistake is perfectly OK, but if it is deliberate, if it involves willfully not doing the job assigned to you, then I think it is time to introspect.”The CM said the department’s good work and construction of high-quality roads and buildings had raised public expectations. “The best part is that if you construct a good road, people are willing to forget your past mistakes,” he said.On the tendering process, Patel said officers should be alert to unusually low bids, particularly when such bids could eventually affect the quality of work. “I cannot understand how somebody earns money and you have to face flak. Whatever the tender amount, work has to be top quality. There can be no compromise on this. If quality is paramount, contractors will naturally quote appropriate rates,” the CM commented.He also flagged complaints about roads being resurfaced despite already being in good condition, and stressed the need for greater scrutiny before undertaking such works.Patel said officers and employees had clearly defined responsibilities under standard operating procedures and should not wait for phone calls from senior officers before acting. “As a result of this practice, a few officers become indispensable, but I want each one of you to be indispensable,” Patel said.Earlier, chief secretary Manoj Das said social media often amplified instances of poor-quality work even as numerous good projects went unnoticed. “Even if it means that project costs increase marginally, quality of works must not be compromised at any cost,” he said.
