Patna Municipal Corporation to ban digging of roads during monsoon

PATNA: Patna Municipal Corporation (PMC) has formulated Patna Road Cutting Regulations 2019, according to which no department, organisation or agency can dig roads during the four-month monsoon season from July 1 to September 30, except in emergency cases. The proposed policy will be tabled in the next meeting of PMC board and it will be implemented after the state cabinet’s approval.
The proposed regulations also stipulate that the departments, organisations and individuals intending to dig roads will have to submit an application to the PMC and pay a certain amount of fee before initiating the process.
“Once the new policy is approved by the PMC board, it will be sent to the urban development and housing department (UDHD), which will scrutinize it and table before the state cabinet for a final nod,” said a UDHD official.
PMC mayor Sita Sahu said many agencies dig roads in the city without informing the civic body. It results in trouble for commuters. “There was no system of taking permission from the civic body for digging roads in the city. Those intending to dig roads for civil works will now have to take permission from the PMC. The money generated through the sale of application forms and digging of roads will also boost our revenue,” Sahu added.
As per the proposal, any applicant who intends to dig roads will have to deposit Rs 1,000 per km at the time of submission of application. The civic body will also charge road digging fee from the applicants based on the type of the road. For bituminous road, the fee will be Rs 2,500 per metre, Rs 2,000 per metre for concrete roads, Rs 1,000 per metre for footpaths, Rs 400 per metre for water bound macadam (WBM) roads and Rs 250 per metre for other roads.
The applicants will also have to submit proper alignment maps, the total length of road digging work, mode and deadline for execution of the work. They will have to mention the inconvenience likely to be caused to people and specific measures to be adopted to avoid it.
After securing permission, the agencies concerned will have to put traffic warning devices and signs, flagmen, lights and barricades on the roads concerned. The agencies concerned will be responsible for safeguarding and maintaining all conflicting utilities, including overhead wires, cables and their supporting poles.
Officials said action would be taken against those digging roads without taking permission from the PMC. The errant agencies will be debarred for three months. In case of repeat offence, the duration may increase. FIR may also be lodged against the errant agencies.