Dehradun: To accelerate development projects while minimizing inconvenience to the public, District Magistrate Dr. Ashish Chauhan reviewed underground utility projects during a meeting of the District-Level Project Coordination Committee on Monday.
After examining proposals from 14 departments and agencies, conditional approval was granted for essential works to be carried out between 10:00 PM and 5:00 AM.
The proposals reviewed included projects from the Drinking Water Corporation, Jal Sansthan, Electricity Department, GAIL, Vodafone, Tata Communications, KfW-supported projects, and other public-sector agencies.
The District Magistrate emphasized that development works should not cause inconvenience to citizens and must be completed within stipulated timelines.
During the review, he expressed strong displeasure over a sewer chamber construction and trunk-line interconnection project near Hotel Regent on EC Road that was expected to take only two to three days but remained incomplete for nearly six months. He ordered an adverse entry against the concerned Assistant Engineer of the Smart City PIU, stating that negligence and unnecessary delays would not be tolerated.
To improve coordination among departments, he directed officials to create a WhatsApp group of authorized officers for regular monitoring and faster communication.
He also warned construction agencies that:
- Delays despite obtaining permission would invite show-cause notices and financial penalties.
- Any damage to another department’s assets during construction must be repaired immediately by the responsible agency.
- No excavation or road cutting will be allowed on roads already restored ahead of the monsoon season.
- Agencies exceeding approved excavation limits, abandoning incomplete work, or ignoring safety standards could face legal action and seizure proceedings.
The DM further directed that all excavation pits dug during the night must be filled by morning and that proper barricading, warning signs, and safety boards be installed at all work sites.
