Chandigarh, May 2– Haryana has achieved another milestone by establishing the Quality Assurance Authority (QAA), marking a first-of-its-kind initiative in the country. Today, the QAA launched its Standard Operating Methods and Procedures (SOMPs), aimed at promoting robust, sustainable, and reliable infrastructure across the state.
Haryana Chief Minister, Sh. Nayab Singh Saini launched the SOMPs and the official website of the QAA at an event held in Panchkula.
The QAA initiative is aligned with the vision of Prime Minister, Sh.Narendra Modi for a ‘Viksit Bharat by 2047’. For the first time, all key stakeholders—including engineering wings of various departments and boards such as the Public Works Department (Buildings and Roads), Public Health Engineering, Development and Panchayats, Irrigation, Power, Urban Local Bodies, Haryana State Agricultural Marketing Board (HSAMB), HSIIDC, and state-level contractors—have come together under a unified quality assurance framework.
Notably, similar Quality Assurance Authorities already exist in countries like the USA and the UK. Haryana is the first state in India to adopt such a model, reflecting its commitment to high-quality infrastructure development.
Following the inauguration, four focused brainstorming sessions were conducted, featuring field experts and faculty members from institutions such as PEC Chandigarh and CPET Ahmedabad, NIT Kurukshetra and other technical institutes of the country.
Experts shared their insights on key 4 topics, including, Cultivating quality consciousness at the ground level, Use of eco-friendly materials and smart design for sustainable infrastructure, Adoption of new-age technology to enable quality assurance in engineering works and State-level best practices in infrastructure development. A total of 24 experts gave their insights having 6 in each session.
In conclusion, experts emphasised the need to use eco-friendly construction materials, involve industries in CSR funding, and ensure the implementation of NGT guidelines. It was also discussed that after the completion of buildings, roads, and other infrastructure projects, there is currently no provision for their long-term maintenance. Therefore, the Quality Assurance Authority should soon introduce a comprehensive maintenance policy. Besides this, relevant legislation will also be brought in to support these initiatives.
Chairman, Quality Assurance Authority, Sh. Rajeev Arora, expressed his gratitude to all the panelists and experts whose valuable contributions played a significant role in the success of the Quality Assurance Conclave.
