LAHORE, April 7: The executive district officers (works) in the Punjab have attributed the poor maintenance of the roads in the districts to the paucity of funds.

The EDOs complained about the non-availability of requisite road maintenance funds at a meeting held here on Monday to discuss the maintenance and construction of the district roads. Minister for Communications and Works Chaudhry Zaheeruddin Khan presided.

The roads could not be maintained properly because the district government had allocated only 50 to 70 per cent of funds against the requirements, the EDOs said.

The minister directed the EDOs to prepare action plans for the repairs of roads in their districts to ensure smooth movement of passenger and goods traffic. Reports in respect of implementation of the action plans should be forwarded to him regularly.

He said that he had received complaints regarding use of road construction funds for repairs which was against the rules. This practice required to be discontinued.

He said that stay orders against the construction of roads should also be got vacated for completion of the schemes.

The minister said that a committee, headed by the C&W Secretary, had been constituted to inspect the roads and submit reports to him.