Bhubaneswar: Under the chairmanship of Law, Works and Excise Minister Prithiviraj Harichandan Lok Seva Bhawan a review meeting was held at Lok Seva Bhawan in Bhubaneswar Friday, to formulate a special policy for the construction, repair and improvement of roads in the state. Housing and Urban Development Minister Krushna Chandra Mohapatra and Development Commissioner Anu Garg were also present at the meeting.
Ministers discussed ways to improve and streamline transportation facilities in the state, keeping in view the current situation. The department aims to build 75,000 km of road in the next 5 years at the rate of 15,000 km annually, which includes National Highways, Ports, Rural Development, Panchayati Raj and Urban Development department roads and bridges.
“Recently, due to lack of coordination between various departments, roads are frequently dug up to lay water pipes, electricity lines, telephone internet cables etc. To get rid of this problem, separate utility corridors will be constructed on various roads. Arrangements will be made for planting saplings in such a way that trees do not have to be cut during road widening. However, where necessary, instead of cutting down old and large trees, use modern equipment to move them elsewhere,” Harichandan emphasised at the meeting.
A special financial system to solve the problem of land acquisition during the construction of roads in rural areas will also be created.
The review meeting also discussed how to use special construction methods to avoid road accidents, prioritise the environment during construction work and how to use waste materials in construction using modern technologies.
PNN