NEW DELHI: In a bid to cut down delays and improve quality, the government has deployed an AI-based detailed project report (DPR) scrutiny tool that aims at strengthening and streamlining the technical appraisal of rural road projects under Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana.Rolled out by rural development ministry’s National Rural Infrastructure Development Agency, last week, the tool, Parakh, has been implemented on a pilot basis in all states and UTs to assess its applicability and effectiveness. DPR preparation is a critical stage in rural road development, involving assessment of alignment, geometry, pavement design, traffic, soil and subgrade conditions, drainage, cross-drainage structures, quantities and cost estimates.With thousands of DPRs requiring multi-level technical scrutiny, the govt is hoping that this AI-enabled tool will substantially reduce repetitive scrutiny time, identify deficiencies at an early stage and facilitate faster processing of DPRs, thereby accelerating sanction, execution and timely completion of PMGSY works.As of now the same parameters are often checked repeatedly at different scrutiny levels, resulting in duplication of effort and longer processing time. Consequently, sanction of works gets delayed, affecting subsequent execution and completion.Rural development secretary Rohit Kansal said, “Transparent and consistent technical scrutiny is essential for better planning and timely implementation of PMGSY projects. Through Parakh, AI is being used to make the scrutiny of DPRs simpler, more systematic and more evidence-based.”
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“This will help technical experts identify key areas requiring attention and focus more on complex cases. At the same time, it will make the technical evaluation process more effective and transparent, further strengthening the quality of rural road projects,” he added.Since the scale of the rural road projects involved is vast — around 63,914 km of road length completed in past four years, inlcuding the ongoing fiscal year — officials said Parakh is designed to assist technical experts by using Al to analyse DPR data, undertake standardised checks and flag inconsistencies in the DPR during the scrutiny process.
