Gandhinagar : Chief minister Bhupendra Patel on Thursday told officers and employees of the roads and buildings (R&B) department that they would have to take collective responsibility for the quality of their work, saying he gets the credit when projects are executed well but has to face angry citizens when shoddy work causes inconvenience.
Addressing the department’s first Chintan Shibir at Mahatma Mandir Convention Centre, Patel said mistakes could be overlooked, but deliberate dereliction of duty will not. The CM said the department’s good work and construction of high-quality roads and buildings had raised public expectations. “The best part is that if you construct a good road, people are willing to forget your past mistakes,” he said. On the tendering process, Patel said officers should be alert to unusually low bids, particularly when such bids could eventually affect the quality of work. Patel said officers and employees had clearly defined responsibilities under standard operating procedures and should not wait for phone calls from senior officers before acting. “As a result of this practice, a few officers become indispensable, but I want each one of you to be indispensable,” Patel said. Earlier, chief secretary Manoj Das said social media often amplified instances of poor-quality work even as numerous good projects went unnoticed. “Even if it means that project costs increase marginally, quality of works must not be compromised at any cost,” he said.
He also stressed that officers should discharge their responsibilities without waiting for instructions from superiors. “I cannot understand how somebody earns money and you have to face flak. Whatever the tender amount, work has to be top quality. There can be no compromise on this. If quality is paramount, contractors will naturally quote appropriate rates,” the CM commented.