TimesView Giving information related to roadwork to the public is laudable, but it is unrealistic to expect that such a move will make the contractors more accountable or responsible. Quality control of the roads is the responsibility of civic officials and engineers. If the department does its job, including efficient supervision of the ongoing work, then there will be no need for the citizens to chase the contractors. Besides, displaying the contact numbers does not ensure that the contractors will answer the calls. At best, the move will bring a bit more transparency, but may not ensure quality. PUNE: Citizens suffering from pothole-riddled roads can soon take the contractor to task on their own. The contact numbers of every road contractor will be shared with the public by the Pune Municipal Corporation The civic body hopes the step will make the contractors more efficient as citizens will reach out to them directly and ask questions about road quality. Information such as the cost of the road, work commencement date and defect liability period will be displayed on the roads. This information will also be published on t he official website of the municipal corporation.A proposal regarding this has been tabled before the standing committee. The proposal states that the work of concreting, constructing new roads, repairing old roads and footpath works are carried out every year, but information on the same is not properly given to the citizens.“The defect liability period for roads is two years. Common citizens should know these details. The details of roads, which have been built by spending public funds allotted in the budget, should be displayed,” said the proposal.Meanwhile, the PMC officials said that the civic body has planned to streamline traffic movement on city roads. The standing committee has allocated Rs 225 crore in the annual budget (2018-19) for new flyovers, grade separators, underpasses and parking lots. The allocations will be utilized for new projects and also for completion of the ongoing projects.Some of the major projects include the Balbharati to Paud Phata road, for which Rs 2 crore has been earmarked. The PMC has also planned a survey of around 200km in length of roads. It aims to repair and improve the roads to make them safer for commuters.“Often, only the names of political leaders feature on the boards displayed at the site where roadworks are undertaken. The works are carried out with public money. Citizens have the right to know details like who has built/repaired the road. They should also know whom to contact in case if anything happens to the road. These contact details will help citizens,” said Siddhartha Dhende, the deputy mayor of PMC.

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