CHENNAI: Minister for state highways and minor ports EV Velu said the state government wants to ensure that state highways complete their lifespan of five years.
Speaking to TNIE, the minister said key reforms undertaken by the DMK government include increasing the use of technology to assess the quality of roads, transparency, accountability and stakeholders participation.
Could you please list out steps taken to improve transparency and performance in the highways department?
For the first time, to ensure accountability we have introduced an internal audit inspection system (IAIS) for the verification of works and related documents. During the month of May every year, officials in the rank of superintendent engineers will be deployed to various districts, away from where they are posted, to audit the works. The official will verify the m-book and other documents which reveal the status of work, level of completion and pending status. No other department has this system.
Quality of newly-laid roads remains a serious concern for drivers and the public. What measures have been taken to ensure the quality?
The bituminous roads of highways have a lifespan of five years and undergo a comprehensive quality assessment to ensure their durability. During my visits, I carry a road cutter to inspect various parameters, such as the bitumen, cement, field density and thickness, in every district.
The minimum thickness of a single-layer bituminous road should be 30mm and all our roads have passed the test, with 33 to 35mm. In addition, our quality control wing has conducted 22,400 tests for 2022-23, which include soil testing, concrete mix testing, and steel design.
Starting next year, we will be using a net survey vehicle to conduct bump integrator tests that will analyse the roughness of the roads. Quality indices will be recorded automatically to reveal any unevenness or bumpiness in the roads. Furthermore, to ensure the quality of bridges, we will conduct non-destructive testing (NDT).
Over the past six years, nearly 30,000 two-wheeler riders have died in road accidents, with 30-35% of these fatalities occurring on highways. Is there a possibility to introduce design-level changes to improve the safety of two-wheeler riders?
It’s not feasible to modify road designs exclusively for two-wheeler riders. There are currently 4,363 accident-prone areas in the state, and we are carrying out both temporary and permanent rectification work at 2,093 locations, at a cost of `90 crore. We have also completed safety work to eliminate 291 black spots.
In addition, I have held road safety audit meetings in 11 districts, not only with government departments but also with stakeholders such as students, NGOs, and various associations. We have also decided to install advanced roller crash barriers at accident-prone locations in Hill roads at a cost of `100 to prevent accidents.
CAG report flagged serious irregularities in the tender process for highway contracts during the AIADMK regime in 2019-2021 and also recommended departmental action against officials. Any comments?
Minister Ma Subramanian has already disclosed the government’s position on the matter. (Ma Su, in a recent press meet had said a decision on initiating legal action on the CAG report would be taken after consultation with legal experts). We will act when the CM takes a decision on this.
When you were in opposition you levelled corruption allegations against former CM EPS in connection with the awarding of highway contracts. Has any departmental inquiry been conducted thus far?
No. The corruption allegations are under investigation by the Directorate of Vigilance and Anti-corruption. The law will take its own course and I cannot comment any further.