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Education Minister flays PWD officials

Photo: T. Singaravelou

Crying for attention: Residents of Lawspet staging a road roko near the office of the Chief Engineer of the Public Works Department on Tuesday. —

PUDUCHERRY: Education Minister M.O.H.F Shahjahan on Tuesday criticised officials of the Public Works Department (PWD) for “inordinate delay in carrying out maintenance work” on the roads in Lawspet.

Responding to a plea of a section of residents, who staged a demonstration in front of the PWD office on Bussy Street seeking his intervention, Mr. Shahjahan summoned the officials at the Chief Engineer’s cabin and sought an “immediate reply .”

“You have been dragging the work for the last two years. Nothing has been done even after holding several meetings of the officials concerned. I need a time-bound reply as to when the roads will be laid,” Mr. Shahjahan told the officials.

The Minister also spoke to Chief Engineer C. Anandane over phone. Chief Minister N. Rangasamy contacted the Minister over phone and promised him to address the issue.

As Mr.Shahjahan had made it clear that he wanted an assurance on time-bound action, the Chief Minister directed the Executive Engineer (Roads and Buildings), M. Ravishankar, to take up the work on a priority basis.

The Minister left the PWD office only after Mr. Ravishankar gave an assurance that road works in Rajaji Nagar, Pipmate Road, Ashok Nagar and the stretch from Karuvadikuppam to Mahavir Nagar would be completed in 10 days.

The Executive Engineer said the drainage work on Lawspet Main Road would be completed in a month.

He also promised to engage PWD workers on a daily basis to drain the sewage from Lawspet Main Road till the work was completed.

The residents continued with their protest before the Chief Engineer’s office till the Minister appraised them about the assurance given by the officials.

In the morning, prior to the protest demonstration in front of the PWD office, the locals attempted to stage a road rook on Ginjee Salai but police prevented them from blocking the road.

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