‘Panchayat nod must for road-digging’

MP, 24 Sept 2024, Kolkata: The Panchayats and Rural Development (P &RD) department introduced a guideline making it mandatory for the Public Health Engineering (PHE ) department to seek the former’s permission before digging of roads for laying water supply pipelines. 

The move comes after Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee pointed out in a recent administrative meeting that she has been receiving complaints related to the battered condition of roads after the laying of water supply of pipelines. 

The concerned departments like PHE were directed to ensure immediate repair of roads after work gets completed. She even threatened to stop release of further funds for the project if repair is not done. 

Banerjee also directed state PHE minister Pulak Roy and the secretary of the department to visit the different areas where such work is going on and take suitable measures and warned of punishment for both in case of any lacunae.

The PHE department is working to ensure supply of potable water to every single rural household in the state by 2025 under the Jal Jeevan Mission as directed by the Chief Minister. 

According to sources, the P&RD department has communicated the recent guidelines in all the districts. 

The agency executing work for laying of pipelines has to inform the P &RD department at least two weeks in advance. 

The PHE and P & RD department will jointly inspect the concerned road following which the two departments will take a decision on how the work will be executed. The PHE department will have to ensure that the road is repaired immediately after the pipeline laying work. There should be a time frame for the repair of these roads. 

https://www.millenniumpost.in/bengal/mamata-lauds-indo-us-collab-on-semiconductor-580731?infinitescroll=1