Housing ministry quiet on CPWD's quality of works: Par panel

A parliamentary panel has pulled up the housing andurban affairs ministry saying it has kept quiet on important issues concerning quality of works done by Central Public Works Department (CPWD).
The standing committee on urban development, in its report tabled inParliament recently, said it observed that quality of construction carried out bythe CPWD had been below the expectation.
The committee had recommended various measures like strict and rigorous quality audit of all projects carried out by contractors, fixing responsibility of officials and contractors and developing a system of punishment and reward based on the performance of officials.
The report was on action taken by the government on the recommendations made earlier by the panel.

To improve functioning of CPWD, the committee had also recommended earlier that the department officials be equipped with adequate administrative and financial powers.
It had also suggested periodic inspections by senior level officials of the CPWD.

In its recent report, the committee said that the action taken reply of the ministry merely speaks about periodic inspections of CPWD works that too at alternate year, among other measures.
"The committee finds that the thrust of their recommendation is completely missing in the action-taken reply of the government... The ministry has conveniently kept quiet on issues such as poor quality works and workmanship, inspections and liabilities of senior officers, fixing of responsibilities," it said.

It said unless the ministry reveal their view point as well as willingness on important issues, the improvement in functioning of CPWD was "unachievable".
"The Committee, therefore, reiterate that quality audit of CPWD works and other issues like fixing responsibility of the level of Assistant Engineer/Junior Engineer and contractor, equipping the officials with adequate administrative and financial powers, etc should be fully addressed in the final action taken report," it said.