Rs 157 crore allocated for repair of roads in Bengal

KOLKATA: The West Bengal Government today allocated of Rs 157 crore to the state's 127 civic bodies including the Kolkata Municipal Corporation for repair of major roads in the state before Durgapuja.

"We need a dry span of at least ten days to repair major roads before Durgapuja. An additional fund of Rs 157 crore has been allocated for the purpose," state's Urban Development and Municipal Affairs Minister Firhad Hakim said here today.

Out of Rs 157 crore additional allocation, Hakim said that Rs 71 crore was from Municipal Area Development Fund, Rs 28 crore from his department's share of Vehicles and Trade Tax and the rest Rs 58 crore from the State Finance Commission.

"It is very difficult to continue with repair works if rain continues. We need a dry span of at least ten days to carry on the repair works and complete it before the Durgapuja," Hakim said.

Hakim also said that tender had already been done to begin the repair works of the Kalyani Expressway, which would be upgraded to six lane highway.