Bhubaneswar: The state government has decided to upgrade all unpaved and water-logged macadam (WBM) roads in urban areas to pucca roads in the next six months. Issuing a directive in this regard, Housing and Urban Development (H&UD) department secretary G Mathivathanan asked all urban local bodies (ULBs) to identify such roads and complete their renovation by October this year.
“The government has taken the decision as part of the transformative urban governance under the 5T initiative,” he said.
As mandated by the government, all kaccha and WBM lanes, bylanes and street roads in the ULB will be upgraded to pucca roads. Initially, Kutcha roads will be taken up for the project and after achieving sufficient progress in transformation of such roads, WBM roads will be upgraded.
Sources said that to ensure transparency in the implementation of the project, the Housing and Urban Development Secretary has directed that all surveyed and validated list of kutcha and WBM roads identified for upgradation need to be submitted along with their geo-coordinates. .
The scope of work for upgradation of roads should include one year defect liability period and two additional years of repair and maintenance to maintain the quality of work.
To support the ULBs, a standardized draft tender document is also being prepared. Officials said funds for the upgradation of roads are being received from Unnati and others through convergence and will be placed before the civic bodies soon.
The ULBs have been directed to take immediate steps to prepare the estimates and submit the requirement of funds to the department by May 5. The department had earlier this month also asked ULBs to ensure parks, gyms, paver roads, open spaces.
By the end of December this year, drainage work will be completed in every ward. The project to be launched under Mukta schemes will ensure basic amenities in 2,055 wards of 115 ULBs.