Gandhinagar, July 22 (IANS) In response to directives from Union Home Minister and Gandhinagar MP Amit Shah, an urgent high-level review meeting was held on Tuesday under Minister of State for Home and District In-Charge Minister Harsh Sanghavi to assess the progress of ongoing road and drainage works in Gandhinagar city.

Taking serious note of complaints from residents and incomplete infrastructure works, Amit Shah had earlier instructed senior officials from various departments to ensure prompt and result-oriented action.

Acting on these directions, Minister Sanghavi convened the meeting at the state secretariat to evaluate the situation and formulate an action plan aimed at minimising inconvenience to citizens.

During the meeting, Minister Sanghavi issued strict instructions to top officials to develop a clear and time-bound strategy to address issues related to damaged roads, pending drainage connections, and disruptions in older sectors.

He emphasised that no resident should face hardships due to civic shortcomings, and called for swift and effective measures.

Also present were Gandhinagar Mayor Meena Patel, Standing Committee Chairman Gaurang Vyas, MLAs Ritaben Patel and Alpesh Thakor, and other public representatives, who raised specific concerns on behalf of the city’s residents. Minister Sanghavi assured them of immediate and stringent action.

Senior bureaucrats including Avantika Singh (Additional Principal Secretary to the CM), Dheeraj Parekh (Officer on Special Duty to the CM), Shahmeena Hussain (Principal Secretary, Water Supply), M. Thennarasan (Principal Secretary, Urban Development), P.R. Patelia (Secretary, Roads & Buildings), Gandhinagar Collector, District Police Chief, and heads of relevant municipal departments also attended the meeting.

Gandhinagar’s urban infrastructure is currently undergoing significant upgrades, with its 430 km underground drainage network spanning Sectors 1 to 30 being systematically overhauled under the Smart City initiative; this responsibility has recently transitioned to the Gandhinagar Municipal Corporation (GMC) for ongoing maintenance and operations.

Alongside this, Rs 606.34 crore was sanctioned in April 2025 under the Swarnim Jayanti Urban Development Scheme for wastewater management, upgrades to the overburdened Jaspur Sewage Treatment Plant, upgrade of the Sargasan – Jaspur main drain, and enhanced stormwater infrastructure, addressing a surge in drainage flow – from 60 MLD earlier to approximately 109 MLD currently – far exceeding the plant’s 76 MLD capacity.

–IANS

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