Bhubaneswar: Odisha Law, Works and Excise Minister Prithviraj Harichandan has directed officials to complete all pending road repair work in Bhubaneswar, Kataka and adjoining areas within the next two days ahead of Durga Puja.
At a high-level review meeting chaired by Harichandan, officials informed that repair work on most roads in poor condition across the twin cities and their surrounding areas had been completed in compliance with earlier directives.
MLAs attending the meeting expressed gratitude to the state government and the Works Department for expediting road repairs in their respective constituencies.
The minister instructed the chief engineers and superintending engineers concerned to ensure that the remaining repair work was completed within the stipulated deadline. He also called for the adoption of modern road construction techniques to improve durability and ensure longer-lasting roads.
Works Department Principal Secretary Sanjay Kumar Singh raised concerns over various institutional departments allegedly digging up roads in good condition without obtaining prior permission. He asked superintending engineers and junior engineers to remain vigilant and take firm action against the institutions responsible for such violations.
Singh also directed officials to inspect vehicle underpasses (VUPs) along national highways and submit reports to the department.
The meeting stressed the need to complete road repairs well ahead of major festivals in subsequent years. While a significant portion of the work was completed before Durga Puja this year, officials were asked to ensure that all such repairs were finished by Ganesh Puja in the coming years.
Among those present were MLAs Babu Singh, Naba Kishore Mallick and Souvik Biswal; Bhubaneswar Mayor Sulochana Das; Kataka Mayor Subash Chandra Singh; Kataka Municipal Corporation Commissioner Kirandeep Kaur Sahota; former MLA Priyadarshi Mishra; senior politician Jagannath Pradhan; Works Department Engineer-in-Chief and Special Secretary Sameer Hota; Engineer-in-Chief (Civil) Satyabrata Behera; and other senior engineers.
