The Public Works Department has initiated plans to establish an in-house material testing mechanism to ensure the delivery of higher quality roads across the national capital, the PWD minister Parvesh Sahib Singh said that the department will begin procuring equipment for the purpose. The move is intended to reduce reliance on external institutes for sample testing and to speed up quality audits. Officials expect the in-house capability to provide faster turnaround of reports and closer oversight of contractor work. Under existing rules contractors are required to get material samples tested by reputable engineering colleges or government research laboratories prior to acceptance of road works, and necessary tests are to be conducted in the laboratory of the Central Road Research Institute (CRRI), the Indian Institute of Technology Delhi (IIT Delhi), Jamia Millia Islamia and the National Institute of Technology Delhi (NIT Delhi) or any other government engineering college approved by the engineer in charge. The established practice has led to dependence on third-party schedules and external laboratory availability. The initial phase will prioritise road quality testing so that sample results and audit findings are available more promptly, as many external reports currently take two to three months to prepare. To test bitumen quality the PWD plans to procure a block-cutter machine and other field equipment that will allow on-site sampling and laboratory standard checks. Where repair work is already under way the department intends to start testing soon and to refine procedures based on the results of those early audits. Officials also indicated that the Delhi government has scheduled repair works covering 600 km of capital roads during this year and that previous contracts included an extended operation and maintenance clause of a minimum of two years. The in-house testing capability is expected to support better enforcement of specifications and to reduce delays in certification that have affected project completion. Further adjustments to testing protocols and procurement will be made as data from the new mechanism becomes available.