Unintentional errors can be rectified; deliberate mistakes won’t be tolerated: Gujarat CM

Gandhinagar, Oct 8 (IANS) Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel on Thursday said deliberate mistakes in road and infrastructure works would not be tolerated, while calling for strict adherence to tender procedures and standard operating procedures (SOPs) to maintain quality.

Patel was speaking at the inauguration of the first two-day Chintan Shibir of the state Roads and Buildings (R&B) Department in Gandhinagar, organised around the theme ‘Gati-Gunvatta-Gaurav – Accelerating Infrastructure for Viksit Gujarat 2047’.

“Unintentional errors can be rectified, but deliberate mistakes will not be tolerated,” the Chief Minister said, stressing that there should be no compromise on the quality of work.

He called for particular attention to the tender process, adherence to SOPs and timely completion of projects through collective efforts.

The Chief Minister said the R&B Department was a key department of the state government as its work on roads, bridges and other infrastructure directly benefits citizens.

He noted that people were quick to raise concerns when shortcomings were found in such works, making it important for the department to ensure that the best possible work was delivered.

Referring to the tradition of Chintan Shibirs initiated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in 2003, Patel said: “Coming together is the beginning, thinking together is progress, and working together is success. The continued Chintan Shibir process is aligned with the spirit of ‘Main Nahin, Hum’ and the goal of ‘Swayam thi Vyam’.”

Patel also urged officials to use the exercise for self-reflection and said deliberation could bring positive changes in personal life as well as in official functioning.

He expressed his resolve to keep Gujarat at the forefront of efforts towards the Prime Minister’s vision of “Viksit Bharat @2047”. He urged officials to work towards “Viksit Gujarat for Viksit Bharat” through sustainable development.

At the inaugural session, the Chief Minister released publications on Building Health Monitoring and Bridge Asset Management and felicitated engineers and officials for outstanding performance based on the Governance Performance Index (GPI).

The R&B Department maintains and repairs a road network of 1.29 lakh km, more than 11,000 bridges and government buildings across villages and cities.

Under the ‘Mukhyamantri Gram Sadak Yojana’, it covers more than 18,000 villages and 14,000 hamlets.

Chief Secretary M K Das described the department as a “key driver” of Gujarat’s development and said it also played an important role during disasters and emergencies.

Referring to the historical and mythological significance of roads and bridges, he cited Maharaja Prithu, described in the Shrimad Bhagavata Purana as the first to build level roads, the Ram Setu mentioned in the Ramayana, the Grand Trunk Road built by Sher Shah Suri and roadside amenities as examples of the enduring role of road infrastructure in public service.

“The department’s budget had increased from Rs 12,000 crore to Rs 30,000 crore in a short period. Achieving the ‘Viksit Gujarat @ 2047’ goal and a USD 3.5 trillion economy would require 11 times more construction work over the next 20 years than had been undertaken in previous centuries,” he said.

He stressed the need for faster, stronger and high-quality roads to meet rising traffic requirements. He called for a ‘from the ground up’ approach, greater field presence and accountability among contractors.

He also urged participants to deliberate openly and prepare a clear Action Plan for 2047.

R&B Secretary P R Patelia said the Chintan Shibir is intended to go beyond routine departmental functioning by encouraging self-reflection and exploring innovative ideas and technologies to achieve the goal of “Viksit Gujarat @ 2047 – Fast, Safe and Sustainable Infrastructure”.

“Measures including the GPI for officials, Performance-Based Rating for contractors and the Quality and Cost Based Selection (QCBS) system had been introduced to improve transparency and efficiency. The timeline for tender approvals had also been shortened to speed up implementation,” he added.

–IANS

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