PIONEER EDGE NEWS SERVICE /Dehradun
Dehradun district magistrate Ashish Chauhan has taken strict action over the slow progress of underground power cable work being carried out by Uttarakhand Power Corporation Limited (UPCL) in the city. During an inspection on Thursday, the DM expressed dissatisfaction with the pace of the work and ordered withholding the salary of the UPCL superintending engineer responsible.
Chauhan and Dehradun senior superintendent of police Parmendra Dobhal inspected the ongoing underground cable project from Balliwala flyover on GMS Road to Saharanpur Chowk via Kanwali Road. During the visit, the DM found that the work was moving slowly and that adequate manpower and machinery had not been deployed at the site.
The DM also noticed that construction materials and debris were lying scattered along the roadside at several places. He said this was causing inconvenience to commuters and directed UPCL officials to remove the debris immediately. He warned officials to follow all conditions laid down by the road cutting committee and complete the remaining work within five days.
To speed up the project, the DM instructed officials to divide the work into 500-metre sections and deploy more workers and machines. He said that after the cable-laying work is completed, the roads should be handed over to the Public Works Department (PWD) for immediate restoration and repair.
Chauhan also directed UPCL to submit daily progress reports and complete all pending work on a war footing. He stressed that road repairs must meet quality standards so that people can travel safely and comfortably.
The DM further asked GAIL officials to complete the gas pipeline related work according to approved conditions and hand over the roads to the PWD. He instructed the PWD to ensure that damaged roads are repaired before the monsoon season.
