Bihar’s road monitoring system is set for an AI-based upgrade, with the Road Construction Department developing software to assess damaged stretches, track inspections and support faster repair decisions across the state. Department secretary Pankaj Kumar Pal announced the initiative while reviewing the condition of roads, bridges and culverts on October 22.
The review covered state highways, roads under the Bihar Rajya Pul Nirman Nigam Ltd and national highways across Bihar. Pal directed officials to take corrective measures for damaged infrastructure and expedite repair work, according to the department’s directions reported by the Times of India.
Under the new monitoring process, divisional-level joint inspection teams will be constituted under the chairmanship of district magistrates. These teams will identify damaged road stretches and determine the corrective measures required. Pal said the arrangement was intended to ensure prompt road repairs.
Executive engineers have been asked to submit lists of roads in their respective jurisdictions to district magistrates. They must also prepare action plans setting out the roads to be inspected and the dates fixed for those inspections. The teams have been directed to physically inspect the roads within 14 working days and upload detailed reports in the prescribed format on the department’s Management Information System portal.
The software is expected to bring inspection findings into a central reporting process. A dedicated dashboard has also been developed for daily monitoring at the departmental level. Pal instructed the engineers concerned to update the dashboard regularly, creating a system through which senior officials can track inspection and repair-related information.
The department’s directions place district magistrates and engineering officials within the same inspection framework. While district-level teams will conduct physical checks, executive engineers will provide the initial road lists and prepare inspection schedules. The reports uploaded to the MIS portal will form the documented record for departmental monitoring.
The review also covered the third phase of the Output and Performance-Based Road Assets Maintenance Contract, or OPRMC-3. Pal said work orders had been issued for 66 packages so far. A new team will inspect the work completed under these packages, adding a separate review of maintenance work already commissioned through the programme.
The department has also been directed to deploy mobile vans and flying squads for road inspections. These teams will supplement the scheduled physical inspections and provide another mechanism for checking road conditions and maintenance work across the state.
The announcement does not specify the total length of roads to be covered, the software’s technical specifications, the budget allocated for its development or the repair timelines for individual damaged stretches. The immediate operational milestones are the submission of road lists, preparation of inspection plans, physical inspections within 14 working days and regular uploading of reports to the MIS portal.
