Lok Sabha Question No. 397 (STARRED), answered on 2023-03-28
Subject: Delay in Completion of Roads by Contractors under PMGSY
Ministry: RURAL DEVELOPMENT
Asked by: Prince Raj

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF RURAL DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT OF RURAL DEVELOPMENT

## LOK SABHA STARRED QUESTION NO. 397

ANSWERED ON 28/03/2023

## DELAY IN COMPLETION OF ROADS BY CONTRACTORS UNDER PMGSY

## *397.   SHRI PRINCE RAJ:

Will the Minister of RURAL DEVELOPMENT be pleased to state:

- (a) whether the Government has any policy to restrict private players who quote 'abnormally low bid' for construction of roads under Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana (PMGSY), delaying the projects after getting them awarded and also compromising with the quality of work and if so, the details thereof;
- (b) whether there is any other mechanism to check such cases as blacklisting the contractors is not a proper solution to this problem and if so, the details thereof; and
- (c) the number of such cases registered in Samastipur and Darbhanga districts of Bihar along with their current status?

## ANSWER

## MINISTER OF RURAL DEVELOPMENT (SHRI GIRIRAJ SINGH)

- (a) to (c)          A Statement is laid on the Table of the House.

## Statement referred to in reply to Parts (a) to (c) of Lok Sabha Starred Question No. 397 due for   answer on 28.03.2023

(a) &(b)       Rural Road is a State subject and Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana (PMGSY) is a  one-time  special  intervention  of  Central  Government  to  improve  the  Rural  Infrastructure through construction of roads for providing connectivity to eligible habitations. The rural roads under PMGSY are constructed, maintained and owned by the respective State Governments. As such,  the  responsibility  to  ensure  various  aspects  of  implementation  of  the  programme  viz. quality, timely completion of these roads etc. lies with the State Governments.

In  order  to  bring  uniformity  in  award  of  works  sanctioned  under  PMGSY,  National  Rural Infrastructure  Development  Agency,  a  technical  arm  of  the  Ministry  has  developed  Standard Bidding Document (SBD). States are required to follow the various provisions of SBD in the matter  of  award  of  works  sanctioned  under  PMGSY.  To  address  the  issue  arising  out  of bidders quoting Abnormally Low Bids (ALBs), provisions of taking the additional performance security from the contractor have been made in the SBD. All the states have been advised to deal with cases of ALBs as per SBD provisions.

Besides  a  three-tiered  Quality  Control  mechanism  is  in  place  under  PMGSY  for  ensuring construction  of  quality  road  works  and  durability  of  road  assets  under  PMGSY  including  the works undertaken by sub-contractors. Under the first tier, the Programme Implementation Units (PIUs)  are  required  to  ensure  process  control  through  mandatory  tests  on  material  and workmanship  at  the  field  laboratory.  The  second  tier  is  a  structured  independent  quality monitoring at the State level through State Quality Monitors (SQMs) to ensure that every work is inspected at initial stage, intermediate stage and final stage of the construction. Under the third tier, which is at the national level, independent National Quality Monitors (NQMs) are deployed for random inspection of road works to monitor quality and also to provide guidance of senior professionals  to  the  field  functionaries.  Based  on  the  periodic  monitoring  of  quality  of  roads under  the  3-tier  mechanism,  corrective  measures,  wherever  necessary,  are  taken  by  the  State Governments.

States  have  also  been  asked  to  make  provision  for  additional  inspections  by  State  Quality Monitors  on  the  PMGSY  works  which  have  been  quoted  at  15%  or  below  price.  NQM inspections are also being conducted on such works by NRIDA on a random basis.

(c)        The  award  of  works  sanctioned  by  the  Ministry  under  PMGSY  is  done  by  the  State Government and blacklisting of contractors for any lapse in implementation of the programme is also done by the respective State Government. No centralized data is maintained in this regard by the  Ministry.  As  per  information  received  from  the  state  of  Bihar,  no  contractor  has  been blacklisted  for  bad  quality  of  roads  in  the  districts  of  Samastipur  and  Darbhanga.  However,  1 contractor  has  been  blacklisted  due  to  uploading  of  forged  audit  report  for  tender  works  in Darbhanga district.

*****