The urban development department has allocated close to Rs 18 crore for construction of roads in areas within the jurisdiction of Ranchi Municipal Corporation (RMC), officials from the civic body said on Saturday, claiming that funds have been distributed among all the 53 ward councillors, deputy mayor and mayor for work in areas under their respective wards.

Ranchi deputy mayor Sanjeev Vijaywargia said that each of the ward councillors in Ranchi have received a fund of at least Rs 5 lakh for constructing roads wherever they find necessary. The fund will also be used for the repair of existing roads and the laying of the drainage systems.

“There are many areas within the city where there is a dire need for construction of roads. Distributing the funds among ward councillors decentralizes the process of road construction, and ensures that every ward of the city gets at least one new road,” Vijaywargia said.

However, there was no fixed length of roads that has to be constructed within the city limits. An RMC official said that the idea was to improve road connectivity in areas that are in need of new roads, and there is no project aimed at constructing a set length of roads in the city.

“There are many slums in the city that do not have proper roads. The construction of roads will improve accessibility of certain areas,” said the RMC official.

A majority of the road construction work under this initiative will begin within the next six months, sources said. RMC sources said tenders have also been floated for construction of roads in Argora, Pundag and areas close to the Pahadi Mandir premises.

The RMC recently distributed laptops among all civic body representatives in the city to encourage the use of digital means in approving projects and sharing updates related to the status of various works done under RMC. Details of all the road construction projects undertaken in the city will also be shared online with concerned authorities by the ward councillors.

Several roads in the city were dilapidated after monsoon showers, and were in dire need of repair, RMC officials said. The drainage system also needs to be improved in some areas of the city that witnessed waterlogging. Owing to the poor drainage system, many roads in the city, especially the part of VIP road connecting Argora Chowk to Shehjanand Chowk, witnessed severe waterlogging.