A resolution passed at the council meeting imposed up to 2 lakh as fine, tripled restoration charges, and permitted police action against those involved in unauthorised road-cutting on interior and bus-route roads.GCC maintains 488 bus-route roads stretching 418.5km and 35,978 interior roads covering 5,654km. Frequent road-cuts by service departments, optic fiber cable-laying agencies, gas pipeline agencies, contractors, and private individuals have been damaging road surfaces, disrupting traffic, and increasing maintenance costs.
Unauthorised digging of bus-route roads will attract a fine of 2 lakh, while violations on interior roads will draw a penalty of 1 lakh. GCC will file police complaints, confiscate machinery used for the work, and levy restoration charges at three times the prescribed rate, the resolution noted.Agencies that fail to complete approved road-cutting work within the stipulated time will also be treated as violators and charged three times the restoration cost. Further work will be permitted only after full payment and a new authorisation from the corporation, officials said.As newly laid roads are often dug up by service departments, GCC plans to hold coordination meetings every Tuesday with these departments to review proposed projects. “Roads will be re-laid only after these projects are completed and a no-objection certificate is issued by the department concerned. This will ensure that roads are not damaged again and curb major patchwork,” an official said.Departments have been directed to refrain from cutting newly laid roads for at least six months, except in emergencies.
