No digging, road cuts without permission, warns R&B Dept

Asks heads of departments to ‘clearly mention the purpose’ of road cut, execution plan & time of completion

Srinagar : Authorities on Saturday reiterated that no digging or road cuts will be allowed without getting a No Objection Certificate (NOC) from the Roads & Buildings (R&B) Department.

A senior R&B Department official told that they have already asked all the heads of the departments and executing agencies of the department to strictly adhere to the instructions while issuing road cut permissions to various government and private organisations. He said that an NOC from the “road owing department and the department owning the service” is mandatory.

“Directions in this regard are clear and already communicated, however as the fresh resurfacing and upgradation of roads is underway in the valley, we want to reiterate that there should be no violations and heads of the departments should ensure compliance with directions,” the official said.

As per the directions already issued regarding the road cut permission, the application from any government institution or private agency must clearly indicate the purpose of the road cut, the scope of work, the project execution plan, and the time of completion, he explained. We are also considering re-issuing the directions already issued in this regard very soon, he added.

It is pertinent to mention here that after the resurfacing and upgradation of roads; road cuts or digging is often witnessed. While the authorities have issued a series of instructions for taking up any road cut or digging other than emergency work, the process has become tougher.

As per the 2022 circular, the road cut permission shall be issued by the competent authority only to alter the realisation of the deposit money as restoration charges from the intending department/agency, after following the due procedure.

The circular states that the road cut shall be executed by the intending agencies strictly as per the permission, with due care to the public and road safety, under the guidance of the concerned R&B Division.

Referring to the 2022 circular, the official said that any deviation in respect of the road or period shall warrant action against the intending agency under the law, including confiscation of machinery and equipment—(KNO)