CUTTACK: The plans of district administration to repair all roads in the city before Durga Puja seems to have fallen apart. The deadline of September 30 has gone by but the roads continue to be in a deplorable condition.
The district administration had conducted a preparatory meeting ahead of the Puja about a month back and Collector Bhabani Shankar Chayani had directed the officials concerned to complete repair work by September 30.
With Durga Puja festivities set to kick off from Thursday with Sasthi rituals and puja committees expecting the rush of devotees from Saptami on Saturday, the dilapidated condition of roads has irked citizens and puja committees equally.
A majority of the roads are maintained by Cuttack Municipal Corporation (CMC) while the rest are either under the Roads and Building Department or Water Resources department but they do not seem to be serious as the work has been moving at a snail’s pace. Besides the regular routes, the stretch from Ranihat to Debigada via Mangalabag through which 165 idols from different parts of the city will be taken in procession for immersion is in a bad shape.
“We had hoped that the road condition would improve during Durga Puja. But CMC is yet to start the work in majority of the Wards,” said Bibhuti Balabantray of Jhanjirmangala.While residents have blamed CMC’s lack of planning and negligent attitude for the situation, the civic body, on the other hand, is confident of completing the repair works by October 3.
Citing reasons for the delay, CMC City Engineer Suba Rao Patro said “The road repair work which was delayed due to rain has resumed from September 25. We have taken up around 100 bad roads in the city and completed 20 per cent repair works. All the repair works are likely to be completed before Puja begins.”
“Rain is not to be blamed. The civic body willfully delayed the road repair works intentionally. The repair work is now being carried out in a hurried and haphazard manner,” alleged former corporator Arun Sethi.