Patna: CM Samrat Choudhary on Saturday inaugurated maintenance works for 13,033km of state highways and major district roads under 66 packages at an estimated cost of Rs 10,590 crore. The programme was held at Samvad auditorium in the Chief Minister’s Secretariat.The works will be implemented under the third phase of the output and long-term performance-based road assets maintenance contract (OPRMC) system. Selected contractors will maintain the identified roads for seven years, from 2026 to 2033.Addressing the event, Choudhary asked road construction department officials to ensure overloaded vehicles do not ply on bridges. The rural works department has also been asked to prevent overloaded vehicles from using rural roads.He said the OPRMC system would make road maintenance more accountable and give it a new direction. He directed officials to start implementing the maintenance works by Diwali. Modern technology would be used for better monitoring, while monthly reports on road maintenance should be kept available and monitoring conducted at every kilometre.Choudhary said roads connecting district headquarters and blocks must be maintained properly, adding that organised upkeep would improve public convenience. Referring to infrastructure developed during former CM Nitish Kumar’s tenure, he said better roads and bridges must now be preserved. He said the goal of reaching Patna from remote areas of the state within five hours had been achieved, while work was under way to reduce the travel time to four hours.He said maintenance was as important as construction, as safe and smooth roads directly benefit people. A short film on OPRMC was screened during the programme and a booklet was also released.Meanwhile, the CM flagged off 58 highway patrol vehicles to strengthen safety, security and uninterrupted traffic movement on national highways. With the second phase of deployment, 119 patrol vehicles are now operational. The vehicles are integrated with Dial-112 and will act as first responders to road accidents, providing immediate medical assistance during the Golden Hour and transporting victims to hospitals without delay. The initiative aims to reduce road accident fatalities and ensure smooth traffic on national highways.
