KMC approves repair of 28 key roads, denies election link

Amid intensifying political activity ahead of the Assembly elections, the Kolkata Municipal Corporation has granted administrative approval for the repair of 28 major roads across the city. The decision was taken at a recent Mayor-in-Council meeting, signalling a renewed focus on addressing long-standing complaints over deteriorating road conditions.

While civic authorities have denied any link between the development works and the electoral calendar, political observers see the move as significant. During the last Lok Sabha elections, opposition parties had secured a lead in 44 out of 144 wards in the city, with poor civic amenities and damaged roads cited as key issues affecting voter sentiment.

Municipal sources said many roads had remained in poor condition for an extended period, with potholes and broken asphalt disrupting daily commuting. The situation worsened in areas where extensive excavation was carried out for laying water supply pipelines, leaving stretches uneven and unsafe.

Senior officials from the roads department maintained that the repairs are part of routine post-project restoration. Following the completion of large-scale pipeline installations, road reconstruction is mandatory, they said. In several areas, partial patchwork was deemed inadequate, leading to the decision to rebuild entire stretches.

Under the current plan, priority is being given to around 25 roads in Boroughs 7, 10, 11 and 13, which were heavily impacted by water supply projects. Work has already begun in parts of Jadavpur and Tollygunge Assembly constituencies, including Baghajatin, Patuli, Kasba, EM Bypass, Haltu, Ramlal Bazar and Behala. The civic body estimates that after 135 kilometres of pipeline installation, nearly 70 roads will require reconstruction, with tenders for remaining stretches being floated in phases.