· STATE FIRST IN COUNTRY TO ADOPT OPRC PROGRAM
· CONTRACTORS TO HAVE SUBMIT SELF-ASSESSED MONTHLY REPORT FOR PAYMENT
CHANDIGARH – The Punjab Government has become first state in the country to start ‘Output and Performance-Based Road Contract’ (ORPC) system in the Rs.750 crore World Bank assisted road project, which would provide immediate road repairs and removal of road cracks in the state. Under this extraordinary OPRC model the potholes would be repaired within 24 hours and cracks would be eliminated within three days otherwise the contractors would have to lose part of their monthly payments.
Stating this, Deputy Chief Minister Mr. Sukhbir Singh Badal disclosed that the Punjab Government has inked the OPRC project with the World Bank, making contractors accountable for immediate maintenance of roads. Mr. Badal said that primarily 6 roads of Punjab including Sangrur-Sunam, Bhawanigarh-Sunam-Bhikhi-SH13, Intersection-Kotshamir, Barnala-Mansa, Mansa-Talwandi Sabo, Dhanaula-Bhikhi and Bathinda-Kotshamir-Talwandi Sabo has been chosen in the state under this valued project of World Bank. He said that this system would not only make the contractors more efficient and effective in maintenance of roads and highways but also provide best road networks in Punjab.
Elaborating the commencement of OPRC in the state, Mr. Badal said that the Public Works Department (PWD) has fully prepared to initiate system in the state by floating tenders to award the improvement and maintenance work of six roads in Sangrur, Mansa and Bathinda areas. He said that this project will be awarded as per the new contract system of OPRC developed by World Bank with an aim to develop best practices in road building. He said that these roads would contain a total maintenance and improvement of 203 kilometers with a total cost of Rs 750 crores out of which Rs 630 crores would be provided by World Bank as soft loan.
He said that under this ambitious project the contractors would have to make requisite repairs and maintain the roads for 10 years since set monthly installments to the contractors has based on their performance in achieving specified service levels as agreed in the contract such as rehabilitation of the road, maintenance services, roughness of roads besides improvements. He said that this system would set the contractors accountable completing the task up to the mark level since earlier in cash contracts, the contractors build roads, maintain the roads only for only year and exit from the project while there were so many chances of substandard construction and the contractors were not held responsible for the deteriorating conditions of roads within few years after construction.
Mr. Badal said that to verify the standard of roads, the Government Agency would visit the sites and pick random samples, which may be in presence of contractors or independent auditor besides it, the commuters can also reports about the deficiencies in road building to the concerned authorities. He said that the under this program the road contract would be awarded to one entity for several roads in the state while the contractors would receive payments only if they would achieve the target in specified service levels including rehabilitation and maintenance of roads.
He said that the monthly payments of the contractors would be halted, if they fail to perform as per the desired standards. He said that the contract would also contain the self-reporting mechanism, where contractors would have to submit a self assessed monthly report for payment that includes all works including repair, accident report, emergency works, bridge and structure inspections and road signage etc.
