Gandhinagar (Gujarat) [India], July 7 (ANI): Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel has directed that all damage to highways, as well as rural and urban roads, caused by heavy monsoon rains, be repaired on a priority basis and restored to their original condition without delay, the Chief Minister's Office (CMO) said in a press release.

In a high-level meeting, the Chief Minister emphasised that road networks--crucial for development and daily public transportation--must not remain damaged due to heavy rainfall, and that immediate repairs should be undertaken to ensure their continued operation. He held a meeting in Gandhinagar with senior officials from the relevant departments to review the current status of national highways, state highways, and roads under the purview of panchayats in rural areas, towns, and metropolitan cities.

In the meeting, CM Bhupendra Patel stated that road and bridge repairs, including patchwork, should not be delayed awaiting the end of rainfall. He emphasised that not a single day with no or minimal rainfall should go to waste, and that repair work must continue even on holidays in the interest of the public. He further stated that in cases where damage occurs or repairs are required within the Defect Liability Period, the responsibility must be fixed on the contractor, and appropriate action should be taken. He also stressed the importance of ensuring the quality of all repair and construction works.

Municipal Commissioners of the State's Municipal Corporations joined the meeting via video conference. CM Patel instructed that urgent repair work should be undertaken in metropolitan areas wherever issues like damaged roads, underpasses, or waterlogging exist, to restore normalcy in urban environments at the earliest. Not only that, the Chief Minister also suggested that long-term solutions must be planned and implemented to resolve such urban issues permanently.

He further directed that repair work must be carried out through coordinated efforts among NHAI, the Roads and Buildings Department, Panchayats, Municipalities, and Municipal Corporations, ensuring effective teamwork and inter-agency collaboration. He stated that issues such as water accumulation on roads due to rainfall, damage to bridges, culverts, causeways, and asphalt roads must be immediately addressed with urgency.

For this purpose, the Chief Minister instructed that whenever the 24x7 Control Room operating at Nirman Bhavan in Gandhinagar receives information, the concerned superintendent, executive, or deputy engineer must immediately visit the site and ensure proper repair arrangements are made.

During the meeting, a detailed presentation was made before the Chief Minister on the current condition of roads, bridges, and highways across the state, with comprehensive data provided by the Roads and Buildings Department. It was informed that most of the affected areas are already witnessing progress in structural and bridge repair works, with diversion management and continuous monitoring in place at around 243 bridges currently undergoing such repairs.

Regarding the condition of highways, officials from the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) briefed the Chief Minister that 83 kilometres of national highways had sustained damage during this year's monsoon, out of which repair work has already been completed on 58 kilometres, and the remaining 25 kilometres will be completed shortly.

CM Patel reiterated that the State Government is fully committed to ensuring that citizens do not face disruptions in daily life due to delays in road repairs, and that all works must be carried out on time with assured quality standards. He further directed the concerned departments to immediately begin repair works to meet public expectations effectively.

This high-level meeting was attended by Chief Secretary Pankaj Joshi, Additional Principal Secretary to the Chief Minister Avantika Singh, Advisor S S Rathore, Urban Development Principal Secretary Thennarasan, Secretary to the Chief Minister Dr Vikrant Pandey, Roads and Buildings Secretary Prabhat Pateliya, and other senior officials. (ANI)