Bhubaneswar: With traffic congestion emerging as a major challenge in the twin cities, chief minister Mohan Charan Majhi on Tuesday directed officials to prepare and implement long-term solutions to ease vehicular movement and improve urban infrastructure.Chairing a high-level review meeting, the chief minister conducted a detailed assessment of the traffic decongestion plan for the twin cities and stressed the need for coordinated action to transform Bhubaneswar and Cuttack into cleaner, more organised and commuter-friendly urban centres.Majhi laid special emphasis on beautification of the capital city, the historic city of Cuttack and their surrounding areas. He directed senior officials to undertake immediate repairs of major roads and traffic junctions that are in poor condition and causing inconvenience to commuters.Highlighting the need for improved road infrastructure, the CM stressed construction and expansion of wide eight-lane roads at key stretches to ensure smoother traffic flow. He also underscored the importance of providing seamless connectivity for devotees and tourists travelling from Cuttack through Bhubaneswar to Puri.During the meeting, officials discussed a range of measures aimed at reducing congestion and improving traffic management. These include development and modernisation of major intersections, construction of flyovers and overbridges, installation of smart traffic signal systems and stricter action against illegal roadside parking.The chief minister called for greater coordination among the police commissionerate, housing and urban development department, works department and local civic authorities such as Bhubaneswar and Cuttack municipal corporations to implement the proposed measures effectively.He urged all departments to work in close collaboration to ensure safe, efficient and sustainable transport facilities for residents while accelerating overall transformation of the twin cities. The review assumes significance as state govt has already planned implementation of an urban decongestion plan notified by the Centre.
