Lucknow, 11 Sept (HS): Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has

directed that roads damaged by rain and floods be immediately repaired to make

them passable, and that they be renovated as needed after the rains. In a

review meeting of the Public Works Department on Friday, he said that the rains

are still continuing, so the condition of the roads should be constantly

monitored and new rain-damaged roads should also be surveyed.

The Chief Minister stated that a large number of people will

travel during the upcoming festivals. Therefore, there should be no traffic

disruptions on major roads. He directed that necessary repairs and renovations

be completed before the festivals. The Chief Minister clarified that

pothole-removal work should not be limited to patchwork. Where roads are in poor

condition, they should be made motorable immediately, and permanent renovations

should be carried out as needed after the monsoon season ends.

It was reported at the meeting that many roads have been

damaged by heavy rainfall, as well as by the movement of heavy vehicles due to

ongoing projects such as expressways, national highways, and railways. A

department-wise survey of these roads is being conducted. Based on the survey,

damaged roads will be identified and department-wise targets for pothole-free roads

will be set.

In view of the upcoming festivals, 681 important routes have

been identified in the state. These include routes with high traffic during

major festivals such as Ganesh Chaturthi, Vishwakarma Puja, Navratri, Diwali,

Chhath Puja, and Kartik Purnima. Preparations are underway to maintain these

routes in good condition on a priority basis.

The Chief Minister also inquired about the action plan from

officials of the Union Ministry of Road Transport and Highways. He also

reviewed the action plans of the Mandi Parishad, Panchayati Raj, Irrigation,

Rural Development, Urban Development, Housing and Urban Planning, and

Infrastructure and Industrial Development departments. He stressed the need for

better coordination among all relevant departments.

The department's presentation stated that the pothole-free

campaign includes roads from nine departments. These departments have

approximately 4.36 lakh kilometers of roads under their jurisdiction. The

current target is to make approximately 50,000 kilometers of roads

pothole-free, of which work has been completed on approximately 5,751

kilometers so far. Department-wise targets will be finalized after a survey of

damaged roads.

Renovation and special repair work was also reviewed.

According to the department, the target is approximately 30,000 kilometers for

renovation and approximately 5,000 kilometers for special repair. To date,

progress has been reported at approximately 14,000 kilometers for renovation

and approximately 700 kilometers for special repair.

The Chief Minister stated that roads are directly connected

to the everyday lives of the common man. Priority should be given to roads near

educational institutions, hospitals, main markets, government offices, and

other locations with high public traffic. He directed officials to begin work

on these routes immediately and ensure that repairs are made motorable without

delay. He urged that quality be maintained while speeding up the work.

Jal Shakti Minister Swatantra Dev Singh, Industrial

Development Minister Nand Gopal Gupta 'Nandi', Panchayati Raj Minister Om

Prakash Rajbhar, Minister of State for Public Works Department Brajesh Singh,

Minister of State for Industrial Development Department Jaswant Singh Saini,

Minister of State for Jal Shakti Ramkesh Nishad and Minister of State for Rural

Development Vijay Laxmi Gautam were present in the meeting.

Hindusthan Samachar / Abhishek Awasthi