Odisha to engage quality monitors to ensure standard of rural works
BHUBANESWAR: The state government has decided to engage independent quality monitors for inspection of road, bridge and building projects to ensure quality and curb irregularities in public works.
The Rural Development (RD) department will deploy experienced engineers, experts and eligible retired engineers as quality monitors for the second-tier quality monitoring system. The department oversees projects on poverty alleviation, livelihood, infrastructure (roads, water and housing) and social welfare (health and education) in villages, besides implementing several central schemes and promoting self-employment.
The state government has made a budgetary provision of `39,221 crore for rural development in the 2025-26 budget and a majority of the allocations are targeted to create infrastructure, improve rural housing and safe drinking water availability.
The quality monitors will independently verify whether the quality of road, bridge and building works conform to prescribed standards and if the quality management systems within the rural works organisation are functioning effectively, sources said.
The department has prepared a set of guidelines for the empanelment of quality monitors, who must possess a graduate degree in civil engineering from a recognised university or retired from a post not below the rank of executive engineer or equivalent from the state or central government departments, PSUs or their subordinate offices.
Retired or serving faculty members of government engineering colleges, IITs, NITs and government research institutes who have worked or consulted in the field of road construction, bridge design, supervision or consultancy are also eligible to serve as quality monitors.
The state government has also prescribed a detailed code of conduct to ensure ethical behaviour during second-tier inspections of works funded by the state, Centre and other agencies. The quality monitors are expected to carry out independent assessments of works executed under various schemes.
An official of the RD department said the second-tier mechanism is intended to provide guidance and support to the implementation machinery and field engineers, apart from fault-finding. “The quality monitors will also assist the executing agencies in ensuring quality through periodic inspections at defined stages of construction,” he said.