The Secretary of the Public Works Department held a meeting with officials and contractors and reviewed the progress of the works.

He asked to expedite the work by regularly inspecting the work sites and review the progress every 15 days.

All contractors have been asked to show progress by September 10th, and those who fail to deliver will be blacklisted and their contracts cancelled.

Raipur, August 18, 2026. The state government is placing special emphasis on expanding road connectivity in Bastar. Along with a continuous review of the progress of roads and bridges under construction in all districts of the Bastar division, intensive monitoring of the works is being carried out to expedite their completion. Secretary of the Public Works Department, Mr. Mukesh Kumar Bansal, today held a meeting with senior departmental officials, engineers and contractors of the Bastar region and reviewed the progress of roads, bridges and buildings under construction. He directed that the roads and bridges under progress under the Government of India's RRP (Road Requirement Plan) and RCPLWEA (Road Connectivity Project in Left Wing Extremism Areas) in various districts of the Bastar division be completed by the coming month of December.

In a meeting held at the PWD headquarters 'Nirman Bhawan' in Nava Raipur, the Secretary of the Public Works Department directed the officials to speed up the work by regularly inspecting all the work sites. He asked to review the progress every 15 days. He discussed with the contractors in the meeting and inquired about the problems being faced at the work sites. He directed the departmental officials to resolve them immediately. Mr. Bansal asked the contractors working in all the 9 divisions of the Bastar region of the Public Works Department to show the work progress by September 10. He directed to blacklist those who do not bring the expected progress in the construction works and cancel their contracts.

In the meeting, the Secretary of the Public Works Department asked all the field officers to visit the work sites two to three days a week to ensure the quality of construction material and construction. He also instructed them to coordinate with the contractors and ensure the progress of the work as per the timeline. He also asked them to inspect the work being done by the contractors and make regular payments. Mr. Bansal asked all the contractors to install plants and machinery in the work areas as per the contract. He instructed them to take action as per the rules against the contractors who do not install plants and machinery.

In the meeting, the departmental secretary inquired about the submission of estimates for priority works for the financial years 2025-26 and 2026-27. He also reviewed the status of estimates for roads and bridges proposed for high-speed roads and connecting inaccessible villages. He directed that information regarding pending land acquisition and forest diversion cases in approved new works be sent to the government so that their resolution could be initiated at a higher level. He asked for prompt payment of bills for construction works, events and programs within a month. He also reviewed the progress of compassionate appointments, pensions, departmental inquiries and disposal of court cases in all divisions.

Mr. Bansal directed that the tender process for identifying agencies be completed by September 30th to begin patch repair work on a war footing after the monsoons. He asked that potholes on roads be filled immediately for smooth traffic. He also directed that roads with performance guarantees be promptly repaired through contractors. He asked that permanent repairs to roads and bridges damaged by floods and heavy rains be given top priority after the monsoon season ends.