Delhi Public Works Department Minister Pravesh Verma has directed that police complaints and first information reports be pursued against people who deliberately damage newly constructed roads, while reiterating that contractors will remain responsible for maintaining the roads for five years after construction.
The minister said there would be no compromise on construction quality and that third-party audits had been provided for to monitor road-building work. He also appealed to residents not to be concerned about the quality of roads under construction, saying projects would be executed according to prescribed standards.
According to the report, the Public Works Department has already approached the police in cases involving people who allegedly damaged newly laid roads and posted videos of the acts on social media. Verma said action would be taken against those found to have deliberately damaged public roads.
The five-year maintenance condition places responsibility for the quality and upkeep of newly constructed roads with the concerned contractor during that period. The minister said contractors would be accountable for maintaining the roads as well as for the quality of the construction work.
The announcement comes amid renewed attention on how newly built roads are protected from damage after construction. Roads can be affected not only by construction defects but also by uncoordinated utility work, excavation and physical damage after resurfacing. The report, however, does not specify the number of roads covered by the directive, the value of the contracts or the precise procedures for determining whether damage was deliberate.
The issue gained prominence after a disagreement in Tilak Nagar during road construction involving Verma and Aam Aadmi Party MLA Jarnail Singh. Singh had questioned the quality of the road, following which an argument and a commotion reportedly took place at the site. The latest directive links the political dispute to a wider departmental position on road quality and damage to newly constructed public assets.
Third-party audits are intended to provide an external layer of quality monitoring, although the report does not identify the auditing agencies, inspection frequency or whether audit findings will be made public. It also does not state how complaints from residents about road defects will be assessed against contractor performance.
The minister said residents would not need to worry about the quality of the roads being built and that construction would follow established quality standards. The Public Works Department’s next steps, according to the report, are to continue pursuing police complaints in cases of alleged deliberate damage and to hold contractors responsible for maintenance for five years.
