MINISTER OF DEFENCE (SHRI MANOHAR PARRIKAR)
(a) Border Roads Organisation (BRO) is entrusted with 762 roads for maintenance and construction/ development of approximately 30,000 kms of roads in the country. Out of which 450 roads are under construction / development in the country. State- wise details of number of roads on which work executed during last three years is given at Appendix A.
Presently, BRO is not entrusted with road works in the state of Gujarat and Kerala.
(b) & (c): Complaints have been received regarding bad condition and poor maintenance of road by BRO in the States of Rajasthan, Punjab, Uttrakhand, Sikkim and Manipur.
Roads are maintained / constructed by BRO as per laid down specification. Due to the difficult terrain (mountainous, high altitude and slide prone areas), natural calamities and ongoing construction activities / widening works etc, roads get damaged and the riding quality gets affected. The complaints regarding bad condi- tion and poor maintenance of roads by BRO are addressed expeditiously. The following actions have been taken by the Government in this regards:
(i) To improve the quality of maintenance, DGBR has been delegated powers to fix rates for main- tenance and snow clearance grants and carry out revision whenever required.
(ii) Inspection of works on roads are carried out regularly by executives at Project and Task Force level and the damaged roads are repaired regularly.
(d) Government has taken following measures to expedite the pace of road projects:
(i) Chief Secretaries of various State Gove- rnments have been requested to constitute Empo- wered Committees under their chairmanship with Secretaries of concerned departments as members to resolve issues related to land acquisition, forest / wildlife clearance, allotment of quarries etc.
(ii) Ministry of Environment & Forest (MoEF) has given the General Approval under section 2 of Forest (Conservation) Act, 1980 for diversion of forest land required for construction / widening of roads entrusted to BRO in the area falling within 100 kilometers aerial distance from the Line of Actual Control (LAC) and for link roads between border roads in the area within 100 kilometer aerial distance from the Line of Actual Control (LAC) and National High- ways / State Highways / Other roads subject to certain conditions.
(iii) Enhanced financial and administrative powers have been given to the executives of BRO.
