Lok Sabha Question No. 1042 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2022-02-08
Subject: Quality of Work Done under PMGSY
Ministry: RURAL DEVELOPMENT
Asked by: Suresh Pujari

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

## LOK  SABHA

## UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 1042 ANSWERED ON 08/02/2022

## QUALITY OF WORK DONE UNDER PMGSY

## 1042.   SHRI SURESH PUJARI:

Will the Minister of RURAL DEVELOPMENT be pleased to state:

- (a) whether  the  Government  had  sent  any  team  of  technical  persons  to  examine  the quality of work being done under the Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana (PMGSY) in Parliamentary Constituency of Bargarh;
- (b) if so, the details thereof;
- (c) whether the Government is aware of the fact that the tender work under PMGSY in Odisha  and  Parliamentary  Constituency  of Bargarh  is being  fixed directly or indirectly resulting in work orders being issued below 14.99 per cent of the estimated value;
- (d) whether the  Government is  convinced that  quality  and  standard  of  PMGSY  can  be maintained under such circumstances; and
- (e) whether the Government will examine all such work and their quality in Parliamentary Constituency of Bargarh constructed during last two years?

## ANSWER

## MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF RURAL DEVELOPMENT (SHRI FAGGAN SINGH KULASTE)

(a)&(b)      No  central  team  has  been  deputed  for  enquiry  of  any  projects  under  Pradhan Mantri  Gram Sadak Yojana (PMGSY) scheme in Bargarh Parliamentary Constituency in the  recent  past.  However,  as  per  the  guidelines  of  PMGSY,  National  Quality  Monitors (NQMs) are deputed by the Ministry and State Quality Monitors (SQMs) by the State for inspection of PMGSY projects to ensure quality of the works implemented under PMGSY at various stages of construction. The details of NQM/SQM inspections of the works under Bargarh Parliamentary Constituency from April, 2020 to 3 rd February, 2022 are as under:

| Type of Quality Monitor (QM)   |   Total No of works inspected |   Works found Satisfactory (S) |   Works found Satisfactory but Requiring Improvement (SRI) |   Works found Unsatisfactory (U) |
|--------------------------------|-------------------------------|--------------------------------|------------------------------------------------------------|----------------------------------|
| NQM                            |                            76 |                             66 |                                                          5 |                                5 |
| SQM                            |                           134 |                            119 |                                                          8 |                                7 |

As  per  the  programme  guidelines,  whenever,  a  work  is  reported  as  deficient  by  quality monitors, on account of either structural and non-structural defects,  the  Programme Implementation Unit (PIU) ensures that the contractor replaces the material or rectifies the workmanship, as the case may be. The Action Taken Report (ATR) for each such work, is verified on ground by the SQMs. Thereafter, the State Quality Coordinator (SQC) examines the  ATR  for  each  such  work  and  furnishes  the  compliance  report.  Accordingly,  out  of  10 works  graded  as  U/SRI  by  NQM,  compliance  in  respect  of  5  works  have  already  been submitted after due verifications by SQMs. In case of inspection by SQMs, out of 15 works which  were  found  SRI/U,  action  taken  report  in  respect  of  13  works  have  already  been submitted.

(c) & (d)    As per programme guidelines, the tendering and execution of projects sanctioned under PMGSY  is  the responsibility of the concerned state government. The State Governments/ Implementing Agencies have to follow the Standard Bidding Document (SBD) for all the tenders under PMGSY. In terms of the provisions of SBD, Additional Performance Security in case of Abnormally Low Bids (ALBs) is to be taken from the contractors.

Instructions  have  been  issued  to  the  states  that  in  case  of  imbalanced  bids  detailed price  analysis  will  be  submitted  by  the  bidders  for  reasonability  of  rates.  Works  will  be executed as per quality standards and additional number of inspections by SQMs should be done for these types of works.

(e)       PMGSY  has  a  very  well  structured  three-tiered  Quality  Control  mechanism  for ensuring  construction of quality road works  and durability of  road assets  under PMGSY. Under  the  first  tier,  the  Programme  Implementation  Units  (PIUs)  are  required  to  ensure process control through mandatory tests on material and workmanship at 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, middle stage and final stage of the construction. Under the third tier, 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.

During the last two years, 8 nos. of projects under Bargarh Parliamentary Constituency were awarded below 14.99% of the estimated value. Out of which, 3 nos. of works are in progress and  other  are  reported  to  be  at  the  agreement  stage.  Accordingly,  the  inspection  has  been conducted for 3 works  by NQMs & SQMs at different times. The details of the same are given below: -

| District   | Package No   | Road Name                                                        | NQM/ SQM             | Date of inspection               | Grade                                  |
|------------|--------------|------------------------------------------------------------------|----------------------|----------------------------------|----------------------------------------|
| Bargarh    | OR03254      | MRL13- Kandhumunda Chhak to NathapaliChhak via Dangbahal, Lebidi | 1. NQM 2. SQM 3. SQM | 29/08/2021 13/12/2021 17/08/2021 | Satisfactory Satisfactory Satisfactory |
| Jharsuguda | OR1468       | MRL 11-Telimal to Madhupur via Baddhuriaam                       | 1. NQM 2. SQM 3. SQM | 19/08/2021 28/07/2021 20/12/2021 | Satisfactory Satisfactory Satisfactory |
| Jharsuguda | OR1465       | MRL 10-Kukerama to Nandamunda                                    | 1. NQM 2. SQM 3. SQM | 23/10/2021 26/08/2021 20/12/2021 | Satisfactory Satisfactory Satisfactory |

As per guidelines 100% works are to be inspected by SQMs.

*******