Delhi Chief Minister Atishi and her cabinet ministers will start field inspection of roads across the city from Monday to assess the extent of damage and the repair needed. This comes after AAP convenor Arvind Kejriwal sent her a letter urging immediate repairs for the damaged roads. Government engineers and local MLAs will join the ministers during these inspections, and they plan to kick off repair work right after assessing the situation.
Earlier in the day, Atishi held a meeting with all ministers to discuss the conditions of roads, with senior officials from the Public Works Department (PWD).
“In the last two days, Kejriwalji and I went to different parts of the city to inspect the condition of roads. We found that several stretches in the city are broken and are not in good shape. Kejriwalji also wrote to me a letter and urged me to repair all the broken and potholed roads,” Atishi said while addressing a press conference.
“It has been decided that all the ministers will conduct an inspection of roads in the next one week. After one week of inspection, it will be decided which roads need "complete repair", "partial repair" and which need to be rebuilt. Repair works will begin the week after the inspection, Atishi said. The chief minister said she will go to South and Southeast Delhi, Saurabh Bharadwaj will visit East and similarly other ministers.
Environment Minister Gopal Rai will inspect the roads in Northeast Delhi and Transport Minister Kailash Gahlot will inspect the roads in West and Southwest Delhi. While Imran Hussain will visit Central Delhi, Mukesh Ahlawat will inspect the roads in North and Northwest Delhi.
A comprehensive review of a 1,400-km stretch of PWD roads in the city was done in a meeting chaired by her in the presence of all ministers and officials of PWD, the chief minister said.
Atishi said she expected to provide a "pot-hole-free Delhi" by the end of October as was desired by AAP convener Arvind Kejriwal.
“Roads are damaged in several areas, and there are potholes due to the rains. Delhi Jal Board, BSES, TATA Power, and several other utilities have completed their work, but the necessary repairs have not been carried out," Atishi said. “The people of Delhi are concerned about the damaged roads. An all-ministers meeting was held at the Delhi Secretariat, where a comprehensive review of 1,400 km of PWD roads was conducted," she added.
Recently, Kejriwal called for an urgent assessment by the Public Works Department (PWD) of all city roads. The chief minister was handed over a letter by Kejriwal during the assembly session on Friday, requesting her to repair the damaged roads in the city.
Delhi BJP hit out at the AAP government, saying Arvind Kejriwal and his government remained disconnected from the city’s problems and their people for their nine and half years rule here.
“As the time for the main examination approached Kejriwal has resigned to avoid accountability and has put forward Atishi Marlena to face the anti-incumbency wave,” Delhi BJP president Virendra Sachdeva said.
Sachdeva said that the ten years of inaction and corruption under the Kejriwal government have left Delhi's roads, flyovers, public transport, sewer and water supply, ration cards, social pensions, schools, and hospitals in a state of utter disappointment for Delhiites. However, Kejriwal, being politically shrewd, has resigned at the last minute to escape his responsibilities.
