Hakim looks to bring maintenance of all roads under KMC, flyovers under KMDA

Kolkata: Mayor Firhad Hakim, who is also in charge of the state Urban Development and Municipal Affairs department, will send a proposal to the state government to designate Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC) for maintenance of all city roads and Kolkata Metropolitan Development Authority (KMDA) for maintenance of all city bridges and flyovers.

The proposal will also contain the appeal to designate the state Public Works Department (PWD) to carry out maintenance of bridges and flyovers in the districts.

"In recent times there have been issues, particularly over maintenance of roads and flyovers in the city and passing over responsibility to one another. If the entire maintenance work is done by KMC for roads and KMDA for the flyovers, then work can be done quickly and in a smoother way. So we will be sending a proposal to the government," Hakim said after attending a high level meeting at the KMC headquarters with officials from KMDA, PWD, Housing & Infrastructure Development Corporation (HIDCO), West Bengal Pollution Control Board etc.

However, KMC or KMDA will collect maintenance charge from the respective agencies which own different roads or flyovers.

It may be mentioned that during the monsoon season this year, when the roads in the city had developed potholes at a number of places, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee had instructed KMC to carry out road repair and later charge fees from the agencies.

Apart from KMC, there are roads in the city that are maintained by the state PWD, state Irrigation department, KMDA, HRBC etc. Kolkata Port Trust is also responsible for road maintenance in a large part of the Port area.