The Tamil Nadu government should appoint independent, third-party technical agencies and autonomous engineering institutions such as IITs or involve officials from other engineering Departments such as the Public Works Department (PWD) to ensure road safety and quality of State Highway roads, said Coimbatore Consumer Cause secretary K. Kathirmathiyon.The role of the Road Safety Wing of the Highways Department is to identify engineering deficiencies, prevent road accidents and ensure compliance with the standards of the Indian Roads Congress (IRC). The Quality Control Wing is responsible for verifying the quality of road works and ensuring adherence to sanctioned estimates, tender conditions and technical specifications.However, officials of the various sections of the Highways Department are currently posted for these two wings and they go back to the other sections after their deputed period ends. “It is unrealistic to expect officers to objectively report engineering defects, poor workmanship, deviations from sanctioned estimates or violations of IRC standards in works executed by their own department or by colleagues with whom they have worked and may work again. This defeats the very purpose for which these specialised wings were established,” he said.Only an independent mechanism can ensure objectivity and hence, there should be a structural reform in the Highways Department, he said. The government should take up a comprehensive review of the functioning of the two wings – road safety and quality control – and introduce independent inspection and audit mechanisms, he said. Published - August 11, 2026 10:14 pm IST