Guidelines on precautions to be taken while budgeting new works under road sub-sector.

Guidelines on precautions to be taken while budgeting new works under road sub-sector

Reference:- Maharashtra Government, Public Works Departments Circular No. Scheme-2025/P.No.60/NEO-1A Date:- 01 April, 2025

Introduction: There is a network of About 3 lakh km in the state. Length National Highways, Major State Routes, State Routes, Major district roads, other district roads and rural roads. Out of this, about 1,12,000 km from Public Works Department. Maintenance, repair and renovation of such length of roads and bridges are done from under-plan and non-plan funds. The works of state highways and major district highways are budgeted by the Public Works Department. Under various schemes for road development works viz. Funding is provided through various schemes like State Highways, Major District Roads, Hybrid Annuity Scheme, NABARD, Central Road Fund etc. Roads, bridges and other ancillary works have been largely budgeted through various schemes of the department.

The higher amount/cost of the budget received by the department every year has already been sanctioned. Therefore, it is impossible for the department to pay for the said works from the allocation received every year. If sanctioned works are not funded in time, the cost of the works increases drastically and the quality of the works is adversely affected to a great extent.

5. d. On 13.01.2025 Hon. To the Chief Minister Mr. 100 days action plan of the department was presented. It has been directed in the said meeting that While budgeting the works, the work should be included in the budget after studying the urgency, requirements and criteria of the works. The said action should be taken while including the works in the next budget. "

It is necessary to limit the number of newly sanctioned works by devising a strict policy regarding newly sanctioned works by the Public Works Department. Accordingly, the matter of issuing detailed guidelines regarding the works to be newly sanctioned was under the consideration of the Government.

Government Circular :-

It is necessary to limit the number of newly sanctioned works by devising a strict policy regarding newly sanctioned works by the Public Works Department. The following guidelines are being laid down regarding the precautions to be taken while budgeting for new roads, bridges and other ancillary works under the road sub-sector:-

1. For communication on state highways and major district roads, the works of very important, heavy traffic and requiring urgent improvement should be proposed subject to the priority order of the Road Development Plan.

2. The concerned Executive Engineer/Superintendent Engineer/Chief Engineer should prepare a Detailed Project Report (DPR) after technical verification and submit the proposal to the Government in accordance with the requirements of the project, priority, availability of funds, availability of land, no-objection certificate of the Forest Department, etc.

3. While proposing works on state highways and major district roads, adequate care should be taken to ensure that there is no delay in the work and the certificate of the Executive Engineer and Superintending Engineer should be submitted in this regard. Strict care should be taken that works are not proposed in different parts / pieces of continuous length of the same road.

4. A certificate to the effect that the works proposed or sanctioned under any other scheme should not be included under this scheme under any circumstances and the proposed work is not proposed in any other scheme or included in the liability period (DLP) should be obtained from the concerned Executive Engineer. Also, the previously approved works should not be proposed for which the liability period has not yet expired.

5. While proposing to the government the proposals for road and bridge works on state highways and major district roads that need to be taken up urgently in terms of road development, the Executive Engineer should submit to the Superintendent Engineer a priority list of new works that need to be included in the budget in accordance with the improvement of damaged and very important and heavily trafficked roads under the current Road Development Plan and accordingly, the Superintendent Engineer should consolidate the road and bridge works under his board's district wise. The proposal should be submitted to the government.

6. Taking into consideration the very important state roads and major district roads under the jurisdiction of the Public Works Department, roads with heavy traffic, roads damaged due to water damage, missing lengths, necessary bridges / culverts for connecting roads as well as road improvement works in very damaged lengths, should be proposed subject to the approved Road Development Plan. Accordingly, the concerned Superintending Engineer should personally check the urgency of the works and submit the proposal to the government accordingly. Proposals for improvement/strengthening and asphalting should not be proposed at the zonal level.

7. Many times while proposing the works, the grade and number of the road is not mentioned in the name of the work. Therefore, while proposing works, the grade and number of the road should be prominently mentioned in the name of the work, otherwise the said work will not be included.

8. While proposing new construction of roads and bridges, proposals for road and bridge works in the district should be submitted within the scope available in non-tribal areas in the district.

9. While submitting work proposals, they should be as complete as possible. In particular, bridge works are sanctioned, but the links to those sanctioned bridges are not ready or are not included in the bridge works. The construction of the sanctioned bridge is completed, but due to lack of access road, the bridge remains unused. Therefore, the capital expenditure of the government becomes ineffective. Also, large scale bridge works are sanctioned. However, after the approval of the works, it takes time to prepare the concept of the works and after the approval the concept is approved and after that the tendering of the work and the order for the commencement of the work are done. So on to actual work

The start is delayed and the estimated cost of the work increases. Therefore, proposals should be submitted only after inspecting the actual site while proposing the works.

10. In case of many works there is a difference between the chain number given and the chain number of the actual place where the work is to be done. Therefore, after receiving proposals for changing the chain number approved as per the proposal, there should be no difference between the Marathi name and the English name of the proposed work, but vigilance should be taken from the field office to ensure that technical errors of this nature do not occur.

11. With a view to include maximum works in the budget, proposals are deliberately understated and then submitted for revised administrative approval. In order to curb such undesirable practices, the Superintending Engineer should personally check and submit the works to the government.

12. While proposing the works, taking into account the remaining cost of the works undertaken at present and the available scope of new works, taking care that the remaining cost does not increase to a large extent, only the most important works should be proposed for the budget in order of priority.

13. Instead of proposing a continuous length of a single road, its various parts/pieces lead to waste of government funds and time in budgeting these works separately, providing administrative approval, conducting tender process. For example, if the works on the same road are budgeted in different parts of consecutive length despite having the same sub-division and constituency, joint tenders should be made instead of separate tenders for such works.

14. If land acquisition / forest land acquisition is required for road works then first land acquisition / forest land acquisition should be proposed without taking up road construction works.