Siliguri, 27th May: The initiative to lay electricity cables underground in Siliguri is set to begin, with an emergency meeting held to address emerging challenges. The meeting, which took place on Monday, involved officials from the West Bengal Electricity, Public Health Engineering (PHE), and Public Works Department (PWD).
Reportedly, speaking after the meeting, Siliguri Mayor Gautam Deb outlined the project phases. The first phase will cover an 8-kilometer stretch from 2nd Mile on Sevoke Road to Siliguri Panitanki More. The second phase will extend over 35 kilometers, covering 17 wards and Hashmi Chowk to Court More. The project has an allocated budget of Rs 1.99 crore.
However, complications have arisen regarding the execution method. Two methods, open trenching and micro tunneling, have been proposed, necessitating permissions from the PHE, PWD, and Siliguri Municipal Corporation (SMC) for work within the city. Additionally, the officials of the concerned departments will visit the area for inspection on June 7. The Mayor expressed optimism that the project would commence in June.