E-Paper
In Lucknow, lack of clarity on road authority leaves commuters helpless
Neither the Lucknow Municipal Corporation (LMC) nor the Public Works Department (PWD) hold the responsibility to maintain these battered roads
LUCKNOW: Even as commuters continue to face a hard time maneuvering their vehicles on pothole-ridden roads, the administration remains unsure of the authority responsible for the upkeep of over 100 dilapidated stretches. At present, neither the Lucknow Municipal Corporation (LMC) nor the Public Works Department (PWD) hold the responsibility to maintain these battered roads -- about 185 km in length -- located in several parts of the city.
Speaking on the issue, Syed Yawar Hussain Reshu, leader of opposition in LMC, said, “A meeting was held between urban development minister Ashutosh Tandon and PWD minister Keshav Prasad Maurya back in 2020. During the meeting, it was decided that the ownership of 172 city roads would be handed over to the PWD. Subsequently, the municipal corporation sent letters to the PWD. Later, a joint team of PWD and LMC conducted inspection of these roads. The LMC even made technical details available to the PWD. However, after all this, the PWD took over only 57 of the 172 roads and refused to take responsibility for the remaining 115 stretches.”
He added, “The principal secretary of urban development had asked the PWD to take over these roads. Recently, on October 3, Lucknow’s district magistrate also directed the PWD to repair these roads. Besides, municipal commissioner Inderjeet Singh also wrote a letter to the PWD chief engineer on October 6. Despite raising the issue multiple times, action in this regard is still awaited.”
On the other hand, PWD chief engineer has admitted that their perception on the ownership of 115 city roads differs from that of the LMC. “How can the PWD construct these roads without any government order? The budget for the construction of these roads will only be released after the government approves the transfer of ownership of these roads,” said Manish Varma, executive engineer, PWD Lucknow.
As a consequence of this clash of opinions, city residents are left stranded with authorities passing the buck. While LMC claims that it doesn’t have the budget to construct (or repair) the 115 stretches in question, PWD is refusing to take the responsibility of these crumbling roads.
The stretches that are in need of immediate attention include -- Takrohi Bazar roads in Sector 11, Indira Nagar; Hussainganj trisection to Latouche Road; Shri Ram Road to Latouche Road; Aminabad to Prakash Kulfi Crossing; Nadan Mahal Marg to Kaiserbagh Bus Station Crossing via Aminabad Police Chowki; Kaiserbagh crossing to Royal Hotel to Hussainganj Road; city station to Medical College road; KD Singh Babu Stadium to Chiraiya Lake; and Purania crossing to Swad Restaurant; among others.
