Barasat Municipality has begun construction and repair work on 65 roads under a Rs 10 crore programme ahead of Kali Puja, when the North 24 Parganas city is expected to see a sharp rise in pedestrian and vehicle movement. Work on another 10 roads is scheduled to begin after the festival, taking the total number of roads covered by the programme to 75.
The work began on Tuesday after the urban local body received a work order for the Rs 10 crore project from the state Department of Municipal Affairs and Urban Development. MLA Shankar Chattopadhyay formally launched the programme in the presence of the municipality’s executive officer and other officials.
The early start is intended to improve movement during Barasat’s Kali Puja celebrations, which traditionally draw large crowds to the city. Municipal officials cited the need to make travel smoother for residents and visitors, particularly as damaged roads can worsen congestion and access problems during a period of heavy public movement.
Residents in parts of Barasat have raised concerns over the poor condition of roads across the municipality’s 35 wards for an extended period, according to the report. The municipality’s decision to take up repairs before the festival therefore combines an immediate crowd-management requirement with a broader road-infrastructure response.
Chattopadhyay said the objective was to change the condition of the city’s roads completely. “My aim is to change the entire appearance of the roads. The first demand of the people is roads. Fulfilling that demand is my aim,” he said.
The MLA also said that work on drainage, street lighting and waste-management problems would be addressed alongside the road programme. The statement places the road repairs within a wider set of civic concerns affecting daily movement and the functioning of public spaces in Barasat, although the report does not specify separate budgets or timelines for those works.
The first phase covers 65 roads, while the remaining 10 roads are expected to be taken up after Kali Puja. The municipality has not provided, in the reported announcement, a road-wise list, completion schedule or details of the construction specifications. These details will determine how quickly the programme translates into improved access across the city’s 35 wards.
For now, the immediate municipal focus is on completing the first phase before the festival-related increase in visitors. The next stated milestone is the commencement of work on the additional 10 roads after Kali Puja.
