Construction works under ADB projects affected
   Date :29-Aug-2022

ADB projects 
 
 
Staff Reporter
RAIPUR, 
 
Construction of roads under Asian Development Bank (ADB) projects is being delayed due to the negligent attitude of Public Works Department (PWD), Government of Chhattisgarh. The new construction of roads will not be approved under the ADB projects until the construction of 869.35 km of roads worth 3000 crores under ADB’s Loan-3 are not completed. Only 50 per cent construction of 24 roads that started in 2019 have been completed so far. Many types of obstacles have erupted in the constructions of the roads. But the PWD officials are not addressing the problems because of it; contractors have stalled the construction of these roads, claimed Chhattisgarh Contractors’ Association (CGCA) President Biresh Shukla.
According to the PWD, constructions of 25 roads connecting cities to villages were sanctioned in 2018 under the ADB Loan-3 package. For it, a loan of Rs 3536 crore was approved from ADB. Under the projects, 869.35 km of roads were to be constructed. In this loan package of crores of rupees received from ADB, 85% share is of the Central Government and 15% of the State Government.
For the construction of roads, the officials of ADB project had to get the land acquisition in time as well as get environment clearance to the State government for felling of trees along the road, but it could not be done on time. So the constructions of these roads got stuck in the middle.
A contractor also approached the court after the department cancelled the tender of 90 kilometres. The CGCA has raised serious questions on the officers of the PWD. President Biresh Shukla said that till the increased 6% GST and escalation issue is not resolved, the contractors will not start construction works of these roads. Biresh Shukla claimed that several roads worth 2300 crores under Loan-4 would not be approved if the constructions of the previous sanctioned works are not completed on time. The constructions of these works are not completed on time. Then these roads will be inaugurated ahead of 2023 assembly elections, Shukla added.