Patna: The Bihar government has tightened timelines for a wide range of public infrastructure projects after a state-level review meeting flagged delays and implementation hurdles across multiple departments.
The meeting, held at the Convention Hall in Patna, was chaired by Kumar Ravi, secretary of the Building Construction Department. Officials reviewed schemes being implemented by 19 departments, including projects executed through the Bihar State Building Construction Corporation Limited.
Senior officers from the department — including additional and joint secretaries, chief engineers, superintending and executive engineers — along with nodal officers from administrative departments, attended the session. The focus was on accelerating stalled works, completing projects running behind schedule and resolving site-level and administrative bottlenecks.
Ravi directed executive engineers to speed up construction of district jails and ensure that completed facilities are handed over without delay. Contractors found responsible for prolonged delays in pending projects, he said, should be debarred from future work.
The review also covered the construction of additional academic blocks in engineering colleges, where officials were told that timelines must be met without extensions. Progress on schools and hostels for Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes and Other Backward Classes was assessed, with several projects nearing completion.
Among major cultural and sports initiatives, Atal Kala Bhavans — cultural centres with a capacity of 620 people — are being built in seven districts, including Araria, Nawada and Kaimur. Officials said remaining work at the Rajgir Sports Complex was advancing rapidly, while other sports facilities were also instructed to fast-track construction.
The meeting reviewed progress on infrastructure for Bihar Animal Sciences University, with directions to complete remaining buildings on schedule. The department is also constructing 2,615 Panchayat Sarkar Bhavans, of which 327 have been completed so far. Officials assured that around 1,000 more would be finished within the next two to three months.
Construction of Sahakar Bhawans in districts such as Nalanda, Lakhisarai, Bhojpur and Darbhanga, as well as block-cum-circle office buildings, was also reviewed. The department is currently building such offices in 240 blocks, along with block-cum-circle office and residential complexes in 59 blocks.
To address recurring issues, Ravi asked engineers to submit reports on site-specific problems so that swift resolutions could be arranged. Quality monitoring reports were also examined, with instructions for engineers to hold review meetings with contractors twice a month.
Officials were told that responsibility for construction quality would rest clearly with both executive engineers and contractors. All key materials — including bricks, sand, tiles and steel — must be tested at the department’s central laboratory to ensure compliance with standards. Engineers were also instructed to regularly update the Project Information Management System (PIMS) portal, with senior officers monitoring progress at a high level.
