Kolkata, 14 October (H.S.): With the formal announcement of the end of the rainy season, West Bengal government has begun major preparations for road repairs and maintenance across the state. According to Nabanna sources, work on the maintenance and expansion of approximately 20,000 kilometers of roads under the Public Works Department will commence soon.

According to departmental data, approximately 12,000 kilometers of these roads already fall under the defect liability period. This means that if any damage occurs to the road within a certain period after construction, the contractor is responsible for it.

A recent survey report by the Public Works Department found that approximately 2,500 kilometers of roads were damaged during this year's heavy rains. A major road repair campaign will be launched as soon as the rains end.

New guidelines issued by the department state that the top layer of each road should be at least 40 millimeters thick. Furthermore, if any damage occurs to the road within three years, the contractor will have to bear the cost of repairs. Officials believe this system will ensure both the quality and durability of the roads.

Nabanna sources stated that a list of damaged roads is being compiled as soon as the rains end. Based on this list, repair work will begin in a phased manner in the coming weeks. The government hopes that if maintenance work begins on time this time, most roads will be motorable by winter.

However, a section of the administration believes that the government is accelerating road repairs in view of the upcoming assembly elections. This year, continuous rains disrupted repair work several times. Therefore, the government now wants to demonstrate the benefits of improved roads to the public before the elections, so that it can seek votes based on development work.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Priyanka Pandey