(a) whether the Government proposes to set up a separate fund to carry out reconstruction and repairing of roads damaged by floods in the country including Kerala;
(b) if so, the details thereof; and
(c) if not, the other steps taken by the Government in this regard?
THE MINISTER OF ROAD TRANSPORT AND HIGHWAYS
(SHRI NITIN JAIRAM GADKARI)
(a) to (c) This Ministry is primarily responsible for development and maintenance of National Highways (NHs). The works on NHs are accordingly taken up from time to time as per traffic density, inter-se priority and availability of funds to keep the NHs in traffic worthy conditions.
Various types of Maintenance and Repair (M&R) works taken up on NHs include Ordinary Repairs (OR), Periodical Renewals (PR), Special Repairs (SR) and Flood Damage Repairs (FDR).
The Ministry has no proposal to set up a separate fund to carry out reconstruction and repair of NHs damaged due to floods in the country including for the State of Kerala.
The M&R of stretches of NHs, where either Development works have commenced or Operation, Maintenance and Tolling (OMT) Concessions/ Operation and Maintenance (O&M) Contracts have been awarded, are the responsibility of the concerned Concessioners/ Contractors till the Defect Liability Period (DLP)/ the Concession Period.
M&R of balance stretches of NHs of the country including for the State of Kerala, including Restoration of damages due to floods, rainfalls, etc., on such stretches, are carried out as per available budgetary outlay, inter-se priority and traffic density to keep such NHs in traffic worthy conditions. This is an ongoing process.
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