Chandigarh, July 14:- Haryana Chief Minister Mr. Naib Singh Saini said that all government construction works in the state should be completed as per the set standards. Be it government buildings or roads etc. The concerned departments should focus especially on the layering of roads, the standards written in the tender should be followed at all times. If negligence, lower quality or disregard of rules is found anywhere in the construction work, strict action will be taken against the responsible officers and employees.
The Chief Minister was chairing a meeting organized by the Quality Assurance Authority (QAA) on Tuesday to review the quality of government construction works and the technical audit being conducted in various departments. In the meeting, the Chairman of the Quality Assurance Authority (QAA), Shri Rajiv Arora (Retd. IAS), gave information about the action taken on the decisions taken in the previous review meeting, the progress of various departments and the next work plan. He also presented the report of the technical audit of various construction projects underway in the state. Information was given about the construction work plan, quality of work, compliance with the set standards and other shortcomings through photographs and other technical evidence. The meeting mainly discussed the Haryana State Agricultural Marketing Board (HSAMB), Irrigation, PWD, Power and Public Health and Engineering Departments. During this, Chief Minister Shri Naib Singh Saini directed that in addition to the construction work being carried out by the departments of the state government, the Quality Assurance Authority (QAA) should also inspect the construction work carried out by the central public sector undertakings from time to time. Along with this, the Chief Minister also said that the state government is continuously working to take the quality of government construction work in Haryana to a new height. He directed all the departments to adopt better working methods, establish accountability and ensure that every rupee of public money is spent on sustainable, quality and public interest works.
Taking the shortcomings revealed in the audit report of the Quality Assurance Authority (QAA) seriously, the Chief Minister directed all the administrative secretaries and department heads to take strict action against the responsible officers and employees within a stipulated time frame wherever negligence or violation of the set norms has been found. He said that all the shortcomings mentioned in the audit should be removed immediately so that such problems do not recur in future projects.
**SDOs, third party inspection and monitoring agencies will also be appointed
The meeting also reviewed the progress of the decisions taken in the previous review meeting. The Chief Minister Quality Assurance Authority (QAA) officials said that instructions have been issued regarding appointment of DPR and Design Consultant, appointment of Third Party Inspection and Monitoring Agencies (TPIMA), making information of projects available through QR code, audit of works funded by the Haryana Government by Central Public Sector Undertakings (PSUs), implementation of a uniform evaluation system based on Standard Operating and Monitoring Procedures (SOMPs) and removal of arbitration clause from engineering contracts. The Quality Assurance Authority is continuously monitoring the compliance of all these instructions. Meanwhile, Chief Minister Shri Naib Singh Saini has also given instructions to make appointments to the posts of SDO, JE etc. in many other departments including PWD, HSAMB.
The meeting also reviewed topics like linking technical audit reports with Haryana Engineering Works (HEW) portal and Chief Minister's Dashboard, formulation of policy for bridges and multi-storey buildings, strengthening quality control branches, protection of Right of Way (ROW), preparation of drainage and water drainage plans and increasing technical staff. The Chief Minister directed the concerned departments to complete all these works within the stipulated time. During the meeting, the Quality Assurance Authority gave several suggestions to further improve the quality and monitoring of construction works. These include proposals like social cost-benefit analysis for major projects, environmental impact assessment, payment to contractors on the basis of quality, review of Haryana Schedule of Rates (HSR) every six months, formulation of policy for quality and safety of private especially multi-storey buildings, preparation of a panel of qualified structural engineers and recruitment of GATE-qualified young quality monitors. The Chief Minister directed the concerned departments to take action on all these proposals on priority basis.
**Quality Assurance Authority Act reviewed
The Chief Minister also reviewed the progress of the proposed Quality Assurance Authority Act (QAA Act). He directed that the draft of the bill be finalized soon after discussions with all the concerned departments, so that it can be presented in the next session of the Haryana Vidhan Sabha. He said that this will further strengthen quality, transparency and accountability in public construction works.
The purpose of the Quality Assurance Authority is not only to point out shortcomings, but also to prepare engineers in a better way: Rajiv Arora The training programs of engineers were also reviewed during the meeting. Quality Assurance Authority (QAA) Chairman Shri Rajiv Arora said that the next phase of the training programs will start from August 5, 2026. In the first phase, about 400 junior engineers of the Panchayati Raj Department will be trained. After this, engineers from other departments, especially Haryana State Agricultural Marketing Board (HSAMB), will also be involved in the training. Mr. Rajiv Arora said that for Haryana's infrastructure to create a new identity in the country, it is not enough to just get construction work done, but their quality should also be of the highest standard. He said that now is the time to move beyond the old way of working and adopt modern technology, better planning and strong quality monitoring. He said that the purpose of the Quality Assurance Authority is not just to point out the shortcomings, but to prepare the engineers in a better way, so that every government construction work is as per the set standards and the public can get sustainable and quality facilities for a long time.
During this, Haryana Chief Secretary Mr. Anurag Rastogi, Additional Chief Secretary Public Works (Buildings and Roads) Mr. AK Singh, Principal Secretary to the Chief Minister Mr. Arun Gupta, Additional Chief Secretary Irrigation and Water Resources Department Mr. Anurag Agarwal, Additional Chief Secretary Agriculture and Farmers Welfare Department Mr. Vijender Kumar, Chairperson of Haryana Power Utility Mrs. Ashima Brar and other officials were present.