Road repair to be a weekly practice in new Delhi plan

NEW DELHI: The Delhi government has directed all roado-wning agencies to start undertaking repair works on Saturdays when the traffic volume is low so that minimum inconvenience is caused to people, officials in the know of the plan said, adding that regular repair works will help keep the roads in a good condition during the rains.

According to the order issued by chief secretary Naresh Kumar on Thursday, road-owning agencies such as the Public Works Department (PWD), Municipal Corporation of Delhi ( MCD), New Delhi Municipal Council ( NDMC), and National Highways Authority of India (NHAI), have been asked to identify stretches and carry out the repair work, preferably on Saturdays.

“To maintain, repair and improve these roads, it has been decided by the government that the organisations, under whose jurisdiction such roads come, should undertake repairs/maintenance/ improvisation works of at least one road per zone (end to end and both sides) along the length and breadth, including right of way, every week, pref-erably on Saturday,” the order said.

Sharing the chief secretary’s order, chief minister Arvind Kejriwal tweeted, “Delhi government’s weekly action plan to make roads wonderful. Every Saturday, every agency will make one after another road falling under their jurisdiction in every zone wonderful.”

The move, however, triggered another tussle between the Delhi government and the office of the lieutenant governor (LG) with the latter claiming that the order was issued at the instance of the LG.

“The LG said he will personally monitor the progress of (road repair) works. The order by the chief secretary in this regard, came following the LG’s meeting with concerned officials earlier this week. He also applauded the seamless coordination put in place between various road owning agencies by keeping the chief minister and deputy chief minister on board,” the LG office said in a statement.

Reacting to the LG’s statement, an official in the Delhi government said, “It is strange that the LG is fighting for credit on issues that fall directly under the Delhi government, while not focussing on lawand-order, cleanliness, or MCD corruption. Road repairs issue was discussed between chief secretary and PWD minister Manish Sisodia two days ago.” The official, however, asked not to be named.

The LG office did not comment on the Delhi government’s reaction.

Over the past month, the Aam Aadmi Party has taken exception to LG VK Saxena holding meetings with government officials from the Delhi Jal Board, and other departments not directly under his charge.

The LG office, meanwhile, has maintained that Saxena’s interventions are aimed at better coordination between agencies.

Every Saturday, every agency will make one after another road under their jurisdiction in each zone wonderful ARVIND KEJRIWAL, Delhi chief minister