New Delhi (Agency): n a move aimed at improving road conditions, Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has instructed officials to launch a special campaign. The goal is to make all roads in Uttar Pradesh free from potholes before the Diwali festival. This instruction came during a meeting with various department heads on Monday.
“The monsoon this year has been unusual,” the chief minister said. “We need to plan for continuous rain in many districts. A state-wide campaign is needed to fix our roads before Diwali.”
Uttar Pradesh has around 4 lakh kilometers of roads managed by various departments. These include Public Works Department, National Highways Authority of India, Mandi Parishad, and several others.
“It’s everyone’s duty to make walking on roads a pleasant experience for people,” Adityanath stated. He added that if a road is damaged due to construction projects like metro or expressways, the department responsible will be held accountable.
In terms of funding, the chief minister clarified that there was “no dearth of funds.” He urged departments to focus on planning and management. The road building agency or contractor must also take on the responsibility of maintaining the road for five years after its construction, he instructed.
Adityanath called engineers the “backbone” of construction work. He emphasized that there should be no shortage of engineers and if needed, they should be hired through private agencies. He also said that engineers should be chosen solely based on merit.
The chief minister stressed on the importance of mechanized rather than manual repair of roads. He also advised officials to conduct random field visits to review construction projects and hold people accountable.
Furthermore, Adityanath insisted that people with criminal tendencies, as well as their close relatives and gang members, should not be involved in any public interest projects.
The initiative comes as a part of the government’s larger agenda to improve infrastructure and make travel safer and more convenient for its citizens. With Diwali approaching, the urgency to meet this target is high.