Road Flaws Detected in CM’s Surprise Check; Contractor Penalised

Sudden inspection of under-construction roads by the Chief Minister; show-cause notice issued against the contractor after flaws were found in the road, and orders issued to stop payment

• Conducted sudden inspection of three under-construction roads in Patiala and Fatehgarh Sahib districts
• Step taken with the objective of ensuring logical use of people’s money
• The state government has launched the biggest road construction project with a target of building 44,920 kilometres of roads at a total cost of ₹16,209 crore

Patiala/Fatehgarh Sahib, December 2025 : Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann today issued orders to issue a show-cause notice against the contractor and to immediately stop all his payments after irregularities were found in the construction of the Ritkhedi Link Road in Patiala district. It is noteworthy that the Chief Minister inspected three under-construction roads today, out of which the construction of two roads was found correct, while one road was found defective.

Reaching for the sudden inspection of the under-construction road, the Chief Minister took samples of the road and expressed strong displeasure upon finding that the prescribed standards were not followed. He directed the officers to issue a show-cause notice to the contractor and immediately stop his payment. Bhagwant Singh Mann also inspected the under-construction Patiala-Sirhind road in Patiala district and instructed officials to get the samples of the road tested in the laboratory. Apart from this, he also inspected the Rudki to Riunna Palain Road in Fatehgarh Sahib district.

The Chief Minister said that the purpose of checking these under-construction roads is to examine the quality of roads being built across the state. He said that the state government is spending a very large amount, therefore this campaign has been started to ensure the construction of high-quality roads in the state. Bhagwant Singh Mann said that he will continue these sudden inspections in the coming days as he is fully committed to ensuring that the people’s money is used properly.

The Chief Minister said that this sudden inspection has been carried out so that it can be ensured that the money coming for road construction is spent properly and that the roads are built with the best material. He said that all concerned departments have been instructed to ensure proper coordination so that sewerage lines, drinking water pipes, fibre and all other works are completed before the construction of roads. Bhagwant Singh Mann said that this will cause minimum damage to newly built roads across the state, thereby ensuring the logical use of people’s money.

Making a strong appeal to the people, the Chief Minister urged them to personally monitor the ongoing road construction work because it is the property of the people themselves. He said that the general public should monitor this work and if any irregularity occurs, it should be brought to the notice of the state government. Bhagwant Singh Mann assured strictest action against contractors found negligent in their work.

The Chief Minister said that it is a matter of great pride and satisfaction that the government has started the biggest road construction work in the history of the state, targeting the construction of 44,920 kilometres of roads at a total cost of ₹16,209 crore. He said that by the end of next year, the state government will build 44,920 kilometres of roads in all villages, towns and cities of Punjab at a total cost of ₹16,209 crore. Bhagwant Singh Mann said that a five-year maintenance clause has been added to the construction of all these roads, which will ensure high-quality standards along with world-class road safety norms.

The Chief Minister said that the objective of this step is to provide better roads in the state and strengthen rural basic infrastructure. He said that the state government has already started the construction of 19,373 kilometres of rural link roads at a total cost of ₹4,092 crore. He said that due to the widespread destruction caused by floods this year, roads in many areas suffered heavy damage, therefore the state government has worked hard on this project. Bhagwant Singh Mann said that a five-year maintenance clause has been added to the ongoing road projects so that the roads remain in good condition for a long time. Along with this, bright road markings, edge markings, signages and world-class safety standards will be ensured on the roads.

The Chief Minister said that he is fully committed to better serving the people of Punjab. Under this, the Punjab government has involved several agencies and public representatives, including PMB, PWD and Urban Local Bodies, in this state-level comprehensive campaign. He said that for this purpose, the state government conducted a detailed survey of all roads in Punjab and identified roads that required repair and upgradation. Bhagwant Singh Mann said that now the state government has set a target to construct 44,920 kilometres of roads at a total cost of ₹16,209 crore by the end of next year.

Bhagwant Singh Mann said that the Chief Minister’s Flying Squad is continuously monitoring the quality of roads and, after receiving many complaints about the use of substandard material, contracts of some contractors have been cancelled. The Chief Minister warned that if any contractor is found doing substandard work or if any employee is involved in it, the strictest action will be taken against them. He said that the state government is fully committed to ensuring the logical use of taxpayers’ money and no laxity will be tolerated in this work.