Yogi government at 100 days: Slipping up on potholed roads - Hindustan Times
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Yogi government at 100 days: Slipping up on potholed roads

Hindustan Times, Lucknow | By, Lucknow
Jun 27, 2017 05:49 PM IST

The government furnished data suggesting the task was a complex one as roads in the state were maintained by different departments or agencies – PWD, panchayati raj, irrigation, mandi parishad, sugarcane development, municipal corporations and national highway authority.

Ever since it came to power, the Yogi Adityanath government in Uttar Pradesh talked of ensuring smooth travel on ‘gaddha mukt’ (pot-hole free) roads by June 15. However, several roads, even in the state capital’s posh Gomtinagar locality, are proof that the pot-hole free road claim was more hype than substance.

Driving on several stretches in the state capital can give jolts to commuters.(HT File Photo)
Driving on several stretches in the state capital can give jolts to commuters.(HT File Photo)

The three kilometre drive from Singarnagar crossing towards Balaganj in the state capital can give you a backache, and the less said about the road from Anand Nagar and Munawwar Bagh crossing to Railway’s Indoor Hospital, the better.

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Read more| Yogi Government at 100 days: Brisk beginning, but miles to go

Government says...

UP BJP chief Keshav Prasad Maurya, who is also the state’s deputy chief minister, says the government undertook the difficult task despite being aware of the challenges.

Although no fresh deadline has been announced for making all the roads in the state free of craters , additional chief secretary Sadakant (he goes by one name) says all the remaining roads would be repaired by October.

The stretch from Fateh Ali Talab to Kanshi Ram Upvan near Jail Road is also mocking at the government’s tall claim.

The government furnished data suggesting the task was a complex one as roads in the state were maintained by different departments or agencies – PWD, panchayati raj, irrigation, mandi parishad, sugarcane development, municipal corporations and national highway authority.

“There was little or no communication between them so far. Now, changes are being made. Please also note that we have been in power for three months only. So why hold a good intentioned-move against us? Don’t catch our words, catch the intention instead,” says BJP leader Navin Srivastava.

The best progress was observed in roads under the Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana (96% roads repaired), NHAI (81% roads covered) and PWD (82%) while roads under irrigation department fared the worst with no improvement.

UP BJP chief Keshav Prasad Maurya, who is also the state’s deputy chief minister, says the government undertook the difficult task despite being aware of the challenges.

Read more| Yogi government at 100 days: Development finally dawns on eastern horizon

“UP has 1, 21, 034 km of UP roads. The public works department (PWD) maintains the biggest chunk of roads –- nearly 23 lakh km -- of which 85,160 had potholes. As far as the PWD is concerned, 70,030 kilometres of roads have been made ‘gaddha-mukt’ so far. While our overall success is 63%, if you just take the roads managed by PWD, it’s 82% success,” says Maurya, who is also the PWD minister.

Although no fresh deadline has been announced for making all the roads in the state free of craters , additional chief secretary Sadakant (he goes by one name) says all the remaining roads would be repaired by October.

Maurya, however, hasn’t set any date . “There is no fresh deadline as it’s an ongoing project,” he says, while blaming the neglect of roads during the 15 years of SP-BSP rule.

The state’s main opposition Samajwadi Party has slammed the government. “Why only potholes, this government has been a miserable failure on all counts. It’s regularly contradicting itself and doing little,” says SP leader Ram Asrey Vishvakarma.

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