With the festive season approaching, the Odisha government has launched an urgent initiative to repair damaged roads across the state before Dussehra.
A high-level review meeting was held under the chairmanship of Law, Works, and Excise Minister Prithviraj Harichandan at the Nirman Saudh conference hall in Unit-5, Bhubaneswar.
The minister instructed departmental engineers to complete patchwork repairs on all major roads by September 20 and begin full restoration of severely damaged stretches from October 2. He emphasized the need for durable and aesthetically pleasing roads, urging newly appointed engineers to apply their expertise toward long-term infrastructure solutions.
A separate policy for road maintenance and accountability is also in the pipeline. Engineers have been directed to conduct field visits over the next two days and submit detailed reports on road conditions.
The meeting addressed coordination issues between agencies such as BMC, IDCO, OPTCL, and WATCO, which often carry out utility work without prior approval, leading to road damage. Principal Secretary Sanjay Kumar Singh highlighted the need for synchronized planning to prevent such disruptions.
The review also included discussions on compensation mechanisms for road damage and the formulation of a dedicated policy for road sustainability.
The meeting was attended by MLAs Babu Singh, Nabakishore Mallik, and Souvik Biswal, Mayors Sulochana Das (Bhubaneswar) and Subash Chandra Singh (Cuttack); senior officials from BMC, CMC, and the Urban Development Department; and top engineers from various divisions.
