Pending infrastructure projects in urban areas can hope for revival with the state urban development department issuing a directive on Saturday to all civic bodies for efforts to start the projects.

Urban development principal secretary Vinay Kumar Choubey in the directive told the civic bodies to hold meetings with representatives of trade, real estate and industry outfits for starting of infrastructure projects affected due to the lockdown in line with the directive of the Union ministry of home affairs for starting of work from April 20. .

“However, as per the home ministry directive, only those projects can start where workers are available at the site and need not be from outside. The civic bodies should also ensure that no new projects are started during the period,” said Choubey.

There are eight municipal corporations, two notified area committees (Jamshedpur and Mango), 21 nagar parishads and 19 nagar panchayats which are governed by the state urban development and the housing department.

Choubey clarified that the projects restart push would not apply for projects in Covid-19 containment zones.

“As of now we have two such zones, one each in Ranchi and Bokaro, and work cannot commence at such places. The ULBs (urban local bodies) have to take permission from the deputy commissioner of the district concerned in case of any confusion. The deputy commissioner can also undertake random inspection to ensure that starting of infrastructure projects do not violate the Centre’s directive,” he added.

Some of the major infrastructure works include Ranchi smart city projects in the HEC area, smart road projects in Ranchi, road widening projects in Jamshedpur, drinking water projects and sewerage projects in several civic bodies.

State urban development authority director Shashi Ranjan said urban local bodies have been directed to ensure that social distancing is maintained between workers when infrastructure projects resume.

“The objective is to ensure that contract workers who are facing hardship can earn their livelihood while important infrastructure projects which are already delayed can be hastened,” he added.

Choubey said that all urban local bodies should use their internal financial resources and also tap funds from civic projects to provide sanitisers, masks and personal protective equipment (PPE) to all staff of civic bodies.

'We had already issued a directive vide a letter issued by K.K. Mishra, joint secretary, urban development department, on April 12 to all the civic bodies for arranging masks, sanitisers and PPE for staff using funds from the utility fund,' said Choubey.