Prioritise roads that boost economy and connect villages: Bawankule to PWD

Nagpur: Revenue Minister Chandrashekhar Bawankule on Wednesday directed Public Works Department (PWD) to develop a standard operating procedure (SOP) for road construction works in Maharashtra, based strictly on urgency and necessity, in line with Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis's directives.
He emphasised that only those roads that significantly improve the quality of life in rural areas should be prioritised.
"PWD must identify and plan works that genuinely reflect urgency, and create roads that uplift the lives of people in villages. The SOP should ensure that development is not random but guided by clear policy and necessity," Bawankule said during a departmental review meeting focused on pending projects in the Amravati and Nagpur regions.
During discussions, Bawankule instructed Amravati officials to submit a proposal under the Hybrid Annuity Model (HAM) for the Achalpur–Badnera–Yavatmal road project, reflecting the govt's push for rapid infrastructure execution aligned with economic priorities.
PWD minister Shivrendra Bhosale, who also attended the meeting, underscored that roads enhancing Maharashtra's economic growth will be prioritised. "While connecting villages remains important, roads that accelerate economic development—particularly those supporting tourism and trade by linking to ports—will be given special attention," he said.
The high-level meeting was held at Bawankule's office in Mantralaya, with PWD Secretary Sanjay Deshpande, department officials, and chief engineers from Amravati and Nagpur divisions attending via video conference.

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