Question Hour: Bitumen shortage has hit road projects in state, says Khudian

The supply of bitumen has been affected due to the US-Iran conflict, disrupting movement of key raw materials used for road construction, says minister

The state’s road construction projects have fallen behind schedule due to a shortage of bitumen, agriculture minister Gurmeet Singh Khudian told the House on Monday.

Chief minister Bhagwant Mann addresses the media on the opening day of the Punjab Assembly session, in Chandigarh, Punjab, Monday. (PTI)

Replying to a question from Ghanour MLA Gurlal Singh on the condition of link roads in his constituency, Khudian said that 13 link roads are being constructed in the border adjoining Haryana.

“The supply of bitumen has been affected due to the US-Iran conflict, disrupting movement of key raw materials used for road construction,” he said. Mandi Board, which functions under the agriculture department, is executing the rural roads project.

Replying to a separate question from Jalalabad MLA Jagdeep Singh Goldy, revenue minister Hardip Singh Mundian said 414 land consolidation cases are pending in the state and a regular court has been set up for their disposal.

“All these cases have been registered on the revenue case management system (RCMS) portal, and the proceedings are also uploaded,” the minister said.

During supplementary questions, AAP legislator from Budhlada Budh Ram said land consolidation in Goraknath village, falling in his constituency, was pending. Mundian assured that the matter would be taken up on priority.

“There are 1,950 sanctioned posts of teachers in the primary cadre, out of which 1,754 have been filled; the master cadre has 59,513 sanctioned posts out of which 39,135 have been filled and in lecturer cadre from 14,130 sanctioned posts 10,397 have been filled,” Bains said.