Jamshedpur, Dec. 9: The government has decided to set up a directorate of quality control for monitoring the quality of roads that are going to be constructed in the state.

Besides, regional quality control laboratories would also be set up at various districts for the efficient functioning of the directorate.

According to sources, the government has held several rounds of talks with many companies, including multi-nationals, for construction of roads and work is likely to start during the last quarter of the current fiscal.

The government has decided to set up the quality control directorate so that work may be monitored from the beginning.

The directorate would have quality control laboratories and technical experts.

Sources said the government would soon float tenders for buying equipment for the proposed laboratories and would recruit technical personnel.

Authorities at the road construction department have surveyed the districts where regional quality control laboratories would be set up.

The department of planning and development has decided to establish the laboratories in strategically placed districts so that the four-lane national highway project could be well monitored.

Altogether five regional quality control laboratories would be set up across the state with the directorate at Ranchi.

The director of the proposed quality control directorate would be a person with a technical background who would report to the secretary of the department of road construction through the chief engineer of Central Design Organisation.

Road construction minister Sudhesh Mahato told The Telegraph that the government wants to ensure that quality roads are constructed.

He said: “It is true that the state lacks infrastructure facilities but we would not compromise with quality as far the state’s development is concerned. And that is why we decided to form the quality control directorate as early as possible.”

New gemology department: There is good news for students of earth science, with a penchant for gems. A formal proposal, by the geology department of Ranchi University, for setting up a Centre for Gemological Studies will be sent to the Union department of science and technology in a month’s time.

A team, comprising representatives of the department of science and technology, has approved the idea during their interaction with local geologists and students. The team visited the geology department on December 5 to promote research and development in the field of earth sciences in Jharkhand.