Lucknow, June 7 -- The Uttar Pradesh government has revised its standard operating procedures (SOPs) for urban local body construction and development works, to improve the quality and accountability of public infrastructure projects. The amended SOPs introduces strict cost recovery measures from engineers and contractors responsible for substandard construction, signaling a major policy shift toward accountability, transparency and responsibility. As per the updated guidelines, if construction work is found to be of poor quality or overpayments are made due to faulty measurements, the financial loss to the state will be recovered 50% from the contractor of the project and 50% from the officials responsible, broken down as: 35% from junior engineers, 10% from assistant engineers, 5% from executive engineers, 30% from executive officers and 20% from other stakeholders, if applicable. This overhaul follows concerns over poor-quality infrastructure in urban areas and widespread reports of repeat repairs on the same roads - a strong signal that poor execution and financial mismanagement will no longer be tolerated, and all stakeholders will be held financially accountable for lapses. Independent quality checks and third-party monitoring are now a compulsory part of all municipal construction projects. According to principal secretary, urban development, Amrit Abhijat, the recovery will be enforced under land revenue provisions through the district magistrate, especially in cases where voluntary repayment is not forthcoming. Urban local bodies are now required to prepare ward-wise directories of all roads and infrastructure to prevent duplication and ensure better planning. Integration of GIS-based mapping is recommended for better monitoring and transparency....