PWD made nodal agency; no road digging for 5 years after hot mixing
PANAJI
Amid directions from the Centre to expedite approvals for piped natural gas (PNG) projects, the Goa government has constituted an apex Coordination Committee and designated the Public Works Department (PWD) as the single nodal authority for all road-cutting permissions to fast-track utility works.
The decision is expected to significantly boost the ongoing PNG expansion covering a 16 km area in Tiswadi and Ponda, where delays in permissions for road cutting have been a major bottleneck for the past month.
In a notification issued, Principal Chief Engineer, Sandip Prabhu Chodnekar said that the PWD will be the only Single Nodal Authority in the State to issue permission for laying of any utilities and permission for emergent conditions, which involves road cutting.
The notification further underlines that the newly formed Coordination Committee, headed by the Principal Chief Engineer, PWD, will function as the apex body for “planning, scheduling and approval of all utility-laying activities across the state.”
All departments and agencies undertaking utility works, including power, water, gas and telecom, have been directed to upload their annual plans on the GIS platform by June 30 each year, while PWD will upload its roadwork plan by May 31.
The Coordination Committee will finalise an integrated execution plan by July 31 annually, ensuring synchronisation between road works and utility-laying projects to avoid repeated digging of the same stretches.
In a bid to curb frequent road damage, the government has introduced a strict provision wherein once utilities are laid and roads are hotmixed, no further road-cutting permissions will be granted for five years, except in emergency situations.
“All the new construction of roads to be mandatorily provided with Utility Infrastructure along and across roads in the State of Goa and also to commence for existing roads in phases and considering its feasibility,” it said.
Additionally, all permissions will now be granted only through an online system, and work completion certificates will be issued digitally after inspection by PWD engineers.
The notification makes it clear that no authority can grant road-cutting permission without the Coordination Committee’s approval. Any violation, including unauthorised digging, will invite penalties and immediate suspension of work.
“Enforce strict timelines and technical specifications for restoration of road. Failure to comply with the decision of the Coordination Committee and unauthorised road cutting will attract levy of penalty as decided by the Coordination Committee and immediate suspending of work,” the notification stated.
It also enforces a blanket monsoon moratorium on road cutting from May 16 to October 31 each year, with all works to be completed before April 30 and as early as May 5 unless under exceptional circumstances.
The Committee will periodically review all upcoming infrastructure works to ensure alignment between road construction, maintenance schedules and utility projects. The government has also made it mandatory to incorporate utility infrastructure in all new road projects, with phased integration planned for existing roads.
