New Long-Term Maintenance Policy for Rural Roads to Ensure 7-Year Upkeep

Patna: The Bihar government is set to implement a long-term maintenance policy for rural roads, similar to that of National Highways and State Highways, which will ensure that these roads are maintained for seven years. The Rural Works Department is currently finalising this policy, which will involve the selection of 534 agencies to manage maintenance for each of the 534 blocks across the state.

The initiative comes in response to the deteriorating condition of rural roads constructed under schemes like the Pradhan Mantri Gramin Sadak Yojana and the Chief Minister Gramin Sadak Yojana over the past 17-18 years. Currently, Bihar has approximately 1.18 lakh kilometres of rural roads, with around 30 thousand kilometres built a decade ago now completely broken down due to a lack of maintenance planning at the time of construction.

To address this issue, the government plans to invest Rs 14 thousand crores to maintain these 30 thousand kilometres of roads. The new policy mandates that roads must be blacktopped twice during the seven-year maintenance period and that potholes must be filled within 24 hours of reporting. The Rural Works Department will oversee centralised monitoring, employing a dedicated team to ensure that roads remain in good condition.

If the selected agencies fail to meet these requirements, they will face penalties, including the confiscation of security deposits and bans on future contracts with the department. Currently, about 65 thousand kilometres of rural roads built in the last five to six years are still under maintenance, and tenders will soon be issued under the new policy to ensure their continued upkeep.

Additionally, around 15 thousand kilometres of roads constructed 2-3 years ago are still in good condition and remain in the maintenance period, while 8 thousand kilometres are yet to be built. The Bihar Rural Road Regular Maintenance System utilises the BRRMS mobile app for road inspections, allowing for random checks and geo-tagged photographic documentation to support ongoing maintenance efforts.

The state government aims to keep all roads, from village streets to expressways, in optimal condition year-round. Chief Secretary Amrit Lal Meena emphasised that the new policy will facilitate repairs using the latest technology, minimising human intervention and ensuring efficient maintenance for rural roadways.