Lok Sabha Question No. 264 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2025-02-04
Subject: Development Projects
Ministry: RURAL DEVELOPMENT
Asked by: Shri Amrinder Singh Raja Warring

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

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 264 ANSWERED ON 04/02/2025

## DEVELOPMENT PROJECTS

## 264.  SHRI AMRINDER SINGH RAJA WARRING:

Will the Minister of RURAL DEVELOPMENT be pleased to state:

- (a) the measures taken by the Ministry to ensure quality control in development projects like Pradhan Mantri  Gram SadakYojana (PMGSY);
- (b) whether there is a mechanism to hold contractors accountable for substandard work;
- (c) if so, the measures taken by the Government to ensure quality of work completed; and
- (d) the  number  of  projects  flagged  for  quality  issues  and  their resolution status, year-wise?

## ANSWER

MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF RURAL DEVELOPMENT (SHRI KAMLESH PASWAN)

(a) to (c) : As  per  programme  guidelines  of  Pradhan  Mantri Gram SadakYojana (PMGSY), ensuring the quality of road works is the  responsibility  of  the  respective  State  Governments  who  are implementing  the  programme.  However,  in  order  to  monitor  the quality  of  roads  being  constructed  under  the  programme,  a three tiered  quality  control  mechanism,  i.e.  the  Project  Implementation Units (PIUs) as the first tier, State Quality Monitors (SQMs) as the second tier and National Quality Monitors (NQMs) as the third tier, is in  place  under  PMGSY  to  ensure  quality  in  construction  of  road works and the durability of road assets. Guidelines to regulate the quality  control  process  have  been  issued  to  States  from  time  to time.

Regular inspections of PMGSY works are being conducted under 2 nd and  3 rd   tier  of  quality  monitoring.  The  State  Quality  Coordinators (SQCs)  of  the  respective  States  have  been  designated  as  Nodal Officer for receipt and handling the complaints. If a work is found unsatisfactory,  on  account  of  both  structural  or  non-structural defects, the report is shared with the State Government highlighting the  deficiencies  and  apprising  the  States  to  remove  the  defects. The contractor  is  required  to  rectify  the  defects  on  his  own  cost. The State submits the Action Taken Report (ATR) after rectification.

As  regards  the  action  taken  against  the  contractors  and  field officials  found  guilty,  it  is  done  as  per  the  policy  of  respective

States.

To strengthen the quality check mechanism, the establishment of a geo-tagged  field  Lab  has  been  made  compulsory.  Also,  a  new version of the Quality Monitoring System App has been developed to include e-forms and other initiatives that have strengthened quality monitoring systems. Consequent upon the introduction of e-Marg i.e. software module for maintenance payments to the contractor during the defect liability period, such payments have been made commensurate  with  the  quality  of  roads  through  a  performancebased contract management system. To ensure that people engaged  in  quality  checks  are  adequately  proficient  and  well trained, National Rural Infrastructure Development Agency (NRIDA), a technical arm of the Ministry of Rural Development, has been conducting mandatory proficiency tests of NQMs, and SQMs, The  skills  of  NQMs,  SQMs  and  PIUs  are  also  being  developed through training programmes, etc.

Further, to ensure that quality monitoring is being done properly on the  ground,  it  has  been  made  mandatory  to  set  up  a  Quality Monitoring Cell under each State Rural Road Development Agency(SRRDA)  and  State  Quality  Coordinators  (SQCs)  have  been entrusted with the task of scrutinizing all reports of SQMs and give a  certificate  to  this  effect  to  the  Ministry.  Concerned  CEOs  have also been asked to scrutinize the quality control registers periodically  and  submit  a  certificate  to  this  effect  to  the  Ministry

while submitting proposals for fund release. The ATRs on observations by the NQMs  are  reviewed  with  the States for compliance.  Performance  of  the  NQMs  as  well  as  SQMs  are  also reviewed and such NQMs/ SQMs are de-paneled whose performance is not found satisfactory or who give satisfactory inspection reports in majority of the cases without application of mind. The quality of PMGSY works is also reviewed regularly by the Ministry in various review meetings like the Performance Review Committee, Regional Review Meetings, and Empowered Committee. The Ministry has also strengthened  the  IT  module  for  monitoring  of  quality  of  PMGSY works. In brief, the Ministry has taken up steps for monitoring and regulating the quality of PMGSY roads.

Whenever  NQMs  report  that  a  work  is  not  meeting  the  quality standards  prescribed  in  the  guidelines,  the  PIU  ensures  that  the contractor  either  replaces  the  defective  material  or  rectifies  the workmanship, as the case requires. Thereafter, the ATR is verified on site by SQMs. The SQC then, examines the ATR and furnishes the compliance report. The monitoring of ATR is done by NRIDA, which is a technical arm of the Ministry of Rural Development.

(d) : The number of NQM inspections on projects, the unsatisfactory  (U)  grading  given  by  them  and  the  resolution through Action Taken Reports (ATRs) by the States/ UTs for each of the last three years and current year as on 28.01.2025 are as under:-

| Year                          |   Total number of NQM inspection |   Total number of works reported as unsatisfactory by NQMs |   Number of ATRs furnished by State |
|-------------------------------|----------------------------------|------------------------------------------------------------|-------------------------------------|
| 2021-22                       |                             9260 |                                                        635 |                                 565 |
| 2022-23                       |                             7162 |                                                        631 |                                 537 |
| 2023-24                       |                             5363 |                                                        698 |                                 575 |
| 2024-25 (up-to 28 th Jan. 25) |                             3797 |                                                        576 |                                 336 |

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