Bhubaneswar, 06 March (H.S.): A review meeting on the pricing of construction materials and their quality standards was held under the chairmanship of Odisha’s Works, Law and Excise Minister Prithviraj Harichandan, with an emphasis on expediting the process of finalising rates for various materials used in infrastructure development.
The meeting, held at the conference hall of Lok Seva Bhavan in Bhubaneswar on Friday morning, focused on ensuring the use of quality materials in infrastructure projects and determining appropriate prices for construction inputs to improve transparency and efficiency in project execution.
During the discussion, it was noted that the use of quality materials significantly enhances the durability and longevity of infrastructure projects. At the same time, the proper determination of prices for various construction materials helps ensure transparency and facilitates faster implementation of development works.
Officials deliberated on aligning the pricing mechanism with standards followed by the Central Government and the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways, as well as practices adopted in different states, to arrive at the most appropriate pricing structure for Odisha.
The meeting also discussed fixing the correct prices of a wide range of materials, taking transportation costs into account. These included basic construction materials such as sand, aggregates and bricks, as well as indoor and outdoor construction items, electrical materials, prefabricated components and other materials used in building construction.
Highlighting the importance of construction materials in infrastructure development, Minister Harichandan stressed the need to complete the price determination process at the earliest.
Among those present at the meeting were Engineer-in-Chief and Special Secretary Er. Laxmikant Padhi, EIC (Design) Er. Sameer Hota, EIC (Civil) Er. Satyabrata Behera, EIC (Roads) Er. Dhyanachand Nayak, Chief Engineers Er. Priyabrata Samantaray and Er. Shivabrata Tarai, along with Financial Advisor Ratikant Mahapatra and other senior officials.
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Hindusthan Samachar / Monalisa Panda
