Yogi govt to accelerate construction of roads in urban areas of Uttar Pradesh

Lucknow: Having conducted intensive work to rid the roads of Uttar Pradesh of potholes and to improve connectivity of villages with cities by building link roads between villages, blocks and district headquarters, the Yogi government is now focusing on accelerating construction of roads as well as its repair and maintenance in urban areas.

In line with the intention of Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, the state government has started the process of formation of the Project Management Unit (PMU) to implement and inspect the repair, maintenance and proposed construction urban roads.

According to the vision of CM Yogi, the Urban Road Infrastructures Development Agency (URIDA), formed for the maintenance of urban roads of the state, has invited applications through Request for Proposal (RFP) to allot work to the agency as a PSU.

PSU will work as a knowledge partner

According to the applications submitted for the identification of PSUs by URIDA, the selected agency after evaluation will play the role of a knowledge partner while working as a PSU. According to the CM Grid Scheme, the PSU must ensure the determination of guidelines, policy formulation, and implementation. It will study existing guidelines, standards, and legal notifications and give them their final form.

Guidelines will be established to fill the gaps in the planning, design, construction, implementation, management, and maintenance of all types of urban roads and intersections in Uttar Pradesh.

In addition to promoting the use of alternative construction technologies, the development of a Green Schedule of Rates (Green SOR) for rate schedules, a scoring mechanism for road selection, compliance verification for approval, and conceptual design for all types of roads and intersections, as well as standard and template preparation for DPR and quantity bills, and implementation plans, will also be required.

Selection process of contractors will be simplified

The agency, which will get the opportunity to act as PMU for URIDA, will have to prepare a model document for the selection of contractors for the execution of projects, which will lead to simplification of the process. Additionally, it will also prepare Standard Operating Procedures (SOP) for the planning, execution, construction, management and maintenance of urban roads.

Moreover, it will be involved in the development of human resource policy for URIDA, preparation of organization structure, development of procurement guidelines and related documents, and development of any other policies, guidelines and standards as required.

PMU will be helpful in preparing the curriculum

The agency selected as PMU for URIDA will develop a curriculum for engineers, policymakers and contractors for the design, implementation and maintenance of urban roads. The agency acting as PMU will also help in providing training to the concerned officials of Urban Local Bodies (ULBs) and other stakeholders related to the project and cost-effective roads by URIDA.

The PMU will also work to provide assistance in developing guidelines, drawing standard templates and standard operating procedures related to the execution, operation, management and maintenance of projects under the CM Grid Scheme.