CHENNAI: The State government has directed all departments, particularly the Water Resources Department (WRD), to strictly regulate Revised Administrative Sanction (RAS) proposals to prevent cost overruns and delays in the execution of public works.

In a Government Order issued by Water Resources Department Principal Secretary Satyabrata Sahoo, the government noted that repeated requests for revised administrative sanction due to design changes, additional quantities, unforeseen site conditions and inclusion of extra items have imposed avoidable financial burdens on the State and slowed project implementation.

The order mandates that proposals for administrative sanction be submitted only after the completion of approved designs, Detailed Project Reports (DPRs), soil investigations, hydrological studies, and field surveys. Departments have also been instructed to ensure that estimates undergo multi-level technical and financial scrutiny before being forwarded to the government.

Officials have been directed not to execute additional quantities or extra items beyond the limits prescribed under the Tamil Nadu Transparency in Tenders Rules, 2000, without prior government approval. The order warns that unauthorised deviations and proposals for post-facto ratification will invite disciplinary action against the officials concerned.

To strengthen scrutiny, the government has reconstituted the Technical Advisory Committee (TAC) to review revised administrative sanction proposals and recommend only those genuinely justified. A Technical Cell will also be established in the Engineer-in-Chief's office to scrutinise estimates before submission.

The order further instructs departments to identify issues such as land acquisition, utility shifting, environmental clearances, and litigation before tendering works, and to conduct periodic reviews to ensure projects are completed within the sanctioned cost and the stipulated timeline.