Chandigarh, May 12 — The Punjab government has kicked off a large-scale rural road initiative, targeting the construction of 18,900 kilometers of link roads across the state, with Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann’s administration calling it a major step toward public-accountable, corruption-free infrastructure development.
Rural Development and Panchayats Minister Tarunpreet Singh Sond on Sunday said tenders have already been issued for the initial 828 kilometers of rural link roads under the first phase.
These cover parts of Barnala, Faridkot, Pathankot, and Shaheed Bhagat Singh Nagar districts.
“This is not just about building roads. For the first time, the people will monitor their quality, and contractors will be made accountable,” Sond said during a press briefing at Punjab Bhawan.
“The government is putting citizens at the heart of this process.”
Sond outlined that additional tenders covering 12,500 kilometers would be released by May 30, and the remaining by June 15.
The first set of tenders spans 11 assembly constituencies, including Bhadaur, Mehal Kalan, Kotkapura, Jaitu, Balachaur, Nawanshahr, Bhoa, and Sujanpur.
What sets this initiative apart, according to the minister, is a five-year maintenance clause. Contractors will be bound to repair any road damage during this period at their own expense. “This is a clear departure from the previous model where roads collapsed within months and public funds were drained by patchwork contracts,” Sond said.
The project’s framework includes mandatory geo-tagging and photographic documentation via mobile apps to verify construction quality. Additionally, a public portal will provide real-time updates on progress, making every project detail accessible to citizens.
The minister said the administration would not tolerate substandard work. “Any contractor delivering poor quality will be blacklisted and will have no place in future tenders,” he warned.
Village Panchayats and local residents will play a direct role in oversight, with the right to lodge complaints over quality concerns.
“We are making sure the people who walk these roads are also the ones watching over them,” Sond said.
The government maintains that this transparent model—combined with local supervision, strict penalties, and digital tracking—aims to establish a sustainable and fraud-free rural infrastructure model.
