QAA, Haryana is truly a one-of-its-kind authority in India focusing on quality- Mr Rajeev Arora

 Quality Assurance Authority (QAA), Haryana organized a comprehensive workshop with the Irrigation, Water Supply, and Sewerage Departments in PWD Rest House Sector 1, Panchkula, today. The workshop aimed to foster improved systems and collaborative efforts across these departments with a special focus on Quality.

Senior officers of the Irrigation, Water Supply, and Sewerage department attended today’s workshop.

This will be followed by Series of Workshop’s on Roads, Bridges, Building and Power (Distribution and Transmission) in the coming week.

QAA will soon be floating the tender for appointment of DPR and Design consultants and their party inspection agencies

Addressing the workshop, Mr. Rajeev Arora, Chairperson QAA informed that the QAA will monitor the quality of Infrastructure being created by the various Engineering departments of the State Government. QAA will soon be floating the tender for appointment of DPR and Design consultants and their party inspection agencies.  QAA will empanel these agencies for a period of 3 years.  Various Government departments can than float the limited tenders to these empanelled agencies. He said that this will ensure a centralized penal for all government department for proper monitoring of Quality in preparing DPR and Design. Additionally, laboratories will be empanelled to ensure high standards in testing and analysis.  QAA also aims to act as a knowledge centre for research and development of various techniques related to quality control and assurance within the construction space.

Authority has effectively established the framework and roadmap for ensuring high-quality standards in Haryana’s projects

He further informed that in a short span of less than a year, Quality Assurance Authority has effectively established the framework and roadmap for ensuring high-quality standards in Haryana’s projects.  By ensuring that the Engineering projects may adhere to the highest quality standards, the QAA will help to deliver better results and achieve development goals set by the government more efficiently. The collaborative effort of QAA and various Engineering departments will be instrumental in realizing the vision of a progressive and prosperous Haryana. With the focus on the quality of infrastructure, the State expects the Authority to ensure quality consciousness across all departments.  This will be achieved by developing procedures with a focus on quality and introducing measures for their effective implementation.

QAA will be backed by the best engineers across various departments

He said that while at Central Government level, Quality Council of India (QCI) plays a pivotal role in national accreditation, Haryana is set to lead by example with its comprehensive approach. It is worth highlighting that the QAA, Haryana is truly a one-of-its-kind authority in India focusing on quality. This marks a significant step forward for Haryana, setting new benchmarks in infrastructure quality.  While the QAA will be backed by the best engineers across various departments, it must also develop mechanisms to engage a larger public by creating social impact. By involving more stakeholders and focusing on social impact, the QAA can ensure that infrastructure projects not only meet technical standards but also contribute positively to the community.

This workshop marks a significant step towards achieving a unified approach to quality assurance

He further informed that the team of QAA conducted the Technical Quality Audit of few projects covering Irrigation, Water Supply, and Sewerage Departments with main focus on adherence to Quality, Timely Completion and Cost of project. Moving forward, the consultants of QAA discussed the technical audit parameters developed to inspect projects related to water supply, irrigation, and sewerage schemes, and also highlighted observations from past project inspections.  This workshop marks a significant step towards achieving a unified approach to quality assurance across key public utility sectors, ultimately benefiting the community.

Several critical functions and tasks undertaken by the QAA were discussed

Several critical functions and tasks undertaken by the QAA were discussed during the workshop, including the establishment of comprehensive quality frameworks to guide departmental operations, the creation of Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) for easy reference to existing literature and best practices, and the implementation of third-party inspections with Requests for Proposals (RFPs) for the empanelment of agencies.

The workshop also highlighted the planning of extensive training programs for contractors and departmental staff, in collaboration with institutions such as QCI, BIS, HIPA, IIT Roorkee, and NIT Kurukshetra. These training sessions, scheduled to commence in September, will cover junior, mid-level, and senior engineers. Executive Engineers, EICs were requested to provide specific training needs for their respective departments.