Bhubaneswar: Works minister Prithiviraj Harichandan on Wednesday directed senior engineers of the department to complete repairs of the remaining damaged roads in Cuttack and Bhubaneswar within two days, ahead of the Durga Puja festivities.The instruction was issued during a high-level review meeting at Nirman Soudha, where the minister reviewed compliance with earlier directions for road restoration in the twin cities and adjoining areas. Officials informed the meeting that most of the badly damaged stretches identified for urgent repair had already been restored, while only a few locations still required attention.Harichandan asked the chief engineer and superintending engineers to ensure that the pending work is completed on priority and that road conditions on festival routes, market areas and major traffic corridors are monitored closely. He said the department must adopt modern construction and repair technologies for upcoming road projects so that roads last longer and require less frequent maintenance.Works secretary Sanjay Kumar Singh expressed concern over instances of agencies digging up roads that were in good condition without prior approval from the department. He asked superintending and junior engineers to remain vigilant, verify such activities at the field level and initiate firm action against agencies found violating rules.Singh also directed the officials to inspect vehicle underpasses beneath national highways and submit detailed reports on their condition to the department. The meeting noted that although many damaged roads were repaired before Durga Puja, the department should advance its repair schedule in future. Officials were told to plan and complete such works earlier, preferably before Ganesh Puja, to avoid last-minute pressure during the festive season.Bhubaneswar and Cuttack MLAs, besides mayors Sulochana Das and Subhas Singh, respectively, attended the meeting.
