Bhubaneswar Cuttack road repairs have been given a two-day deadline after Odisha Works Minister Prithiviraj Harichandan directed senior engineers to restore the remaining damaged stretches before the Durga Puja festivities. The order covers roads in Bhubaneswar, Cuttack and adjoining areas, with officials asked to prioritise festival routes, market areas and major traffic corridors.
The direction was issued during a high-level review meeting at Nirman Soudha, where the minister assessed compliance with earlier instructions on road restoration in the twin cities. Officials told the meeting that most of the severely damaged stretches identified for urgent repairs had already been restored, while a few locations remained pending.
Harichandan instructed the chief engineer and superintending engineers to complete the remaining work on priority and closely monitor road conditions along routes expected to see increased movement during the festival period. The instruction places the focus on completing repairs before the festivities rather than allowing damaged stretches to remain open during a period of heavier pedestrian and vehicle traffic.
The meeting also raised concerns about the durability and coordination of road works. Harichandan said upcoming road projects should use modern construction and repair technologies so that roads last longer and require less frequent maintenance. The directive comes as road agencies in urban areas continue to deal with repeated repairs and interruptions caused by construction and utility works.
Works secretary Sanjay Kumar Singh separately expressed concern over 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 activity at field level and take firm action against agencies found violating the rules.
Singh also directed officials to inspect vehicle underpasses beneath national highways and submit detailed reports on their condition to the department. The instruction broadens the review beyond visible road damage to include the condition of infrastructure that supports local movement beneath major highways.
Bhubaneswar and Cuttack MLAs, along with Bhubaneswar mayor Sulochana Das and Cuttack mayor Subhas Singh, attended the meeting. Officials were also told to advance road repair schedules in future and complete such work preferably before Ganesh Puja, so that the department is not placed under last-minute pressure ahead of Durga Puja. The immediate deadline remains the completion of the pending repairs within two days.
