With Dussehra just around the corner, Works Minister Prithviraj Harichandan chaired a high-level review meeting to assess road repair work across the twin cities of Kataka and Bhubaneswar and surrounding areas.
Officials reported that most damaged stretches have already been fixed, drawing appreciation from attending MLAs who thanked the state government and the Works Department for the accelerated pace.
Harichandan directed the Chief Engineer and Superintending Engineers to complete the remaining repair works within the next two days. He stressed that upcoming road construction projects must adopt modern technology and best practices to ensure durability and longer service life.
Principal Secretary of the Works Department Sanjay Kumar Singh flagged a growing problem: several institutions and agencies are digging up good roads without permission. He asked Superintending and Junior Engineers to stay vigilant and take firm action against such unauthorized excavations. The meeting also ordered a status report on all Vehicle Under Passes (VUPs) beneath national highways.
Looking ahead, participants emphasised the need to finish pre-festival road repairs even earlier next year — ideally before Ganesh Puja — so that the public faces minimal disruption during the festive season.
The meeting was attended by MLAs Babu Singh, Nabakishore Mallick and Soubhik Biswal, Bhubaneswar Mayor Sulochana Das, Kataka Mayor Subash Chandra Singh, Kataka Municipal Corporation Commissioner Kirandeep Kaur Sahota, former MLA Priyadarshi Mishra, senior leader Jagannath Pradhan, Engineer-in-Chief and Special Secretary Samir Hota, and Engineer-in-Chief (Civil) Satyabrata Behera, along with other senior engineers.
