Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar on Sunday said he will set up a ‘Quality Control Authority’ to ensure transparency and accountability in government projects.

The body will do regular review of all developmental projects and will also take action against officers if any lapse is found on their part, said Khattar.

The CM made the announcement while addressing the people after virtually inaugurating and laying foundation stones of projects worth Rs 2,000 crore at a programme in Karnal.

The Chief Minister said that a “termite” named corruption has been hollowing out the entire system for the past many years, but now many “revolutionary changes” have been brought by the present state government to get rid of it.

He said that with these “revolutionary systemic changes” corruption entrenched in the transfer drives, engineering construction, and connivance of contractors and government employees has been curbed to a great extent, an official statement quoted him as saying here.

The Engineering Works Portal started by the state government has increased transparency in the allocation of government projects with the tender for construction works being floated online now, he said.

Khattar said the mechanism will enable the contractors to fill their quotations and they will not have to make frequent rounds to meet the officers to get their work done.

The CM also called upon the people of the state to cooperate in the “zero tolerance against corruption campaign” of the state government.

“We will develop a single portal system in which the public will share information about the quality, corruption, mixing, or substandard construction of the projects with the government.

Once such information has been received, a preliminary examination will be done and strict action as per government rules will be ensured against those found guilty.

Also if needed, the reconstruction of such projects will also be considered, said Khattar.

Khattar inaugurated and laid the foundation stones of 174 projects, related to education, health, irrigation, road, transport, and infrastructure development in different parts of the state, costing more than Rs 2,000 crore.

As it was done, programmes were organised across many districts which were attended by the Deputy Chief Minister, ministers, and the party MLAs and MPs.

He said the government is committed to ensure a “holistic development” of the entire State.

“Infrastructure plays a catalytic role in overall growth and development of the country as well as the State..," he said.

He also said that a target has been set to open 500 new 'Model Sanskriti Schools' to provide quality education to the state’s students.

Through functional household tap connection, clean drinking water is ensured in every house and efforts are being made to fulfil the water requirement wherever needed , the CM said.

Khattar on Sunday laid the foundation stones of the new Secretariat building, to be constructed by the revenue department in Charkhi Dadri district and a 200-bedded civil hospital to be built by the health department at a cost of Rs 234 crore in Sector-9, Fatehabad. ?

He also inaugurated a new bus stand, built at a cost Rs 20 crore, and constructed by the transport department in Fatehabad, and also Primary Health Centres, constructed at the cost of Rs 115 crore, in Sinsar, Karmagarh, Karsindhu, and Ramrai in Jind district.

He also laid the foundation stone of an indoor sports complex to be built at a cost of Rs 37 crore by Karnal Smart City Limited.

-With PTI Input