The Bengal government’s decision to cut down allocations under the plan and non-plan heads for development and maintenance of roads in the last financial year has affected the laying and repairing of thoroughfares across the state this year.

A closer look at the allocations for roads between 2020-21 and 2024-25 financial years revealed that the state government had increased allotments under plan and non-plan heads almost every year till 2023-24, but the allocation came down drastically in the 2024-25 fiscal.

Figures drawn up by the state public works department reveal that the state had allotted ₹249.56 crore under the non-plan head and ₹3,269.14 crore under the plan head in the 2020-21 financial year. The allocations were gradually increased every year and reached ₹258.08 crore under the non-plan head and ₹5,426.75 crore under the plan head in the 2023-24 financial year.

“Under the non-plan head, the allotment was ₹257.21 crore, which was marginally down from the 2023-24 financial year. But the allotment came down heavily under the plan head in the 2024-25 financial year, when the allotment came down to ₹4,171.88 crore from ₹5,426.75 crore in 2023-24. This caused a blow to the road conditions of the state,” said an official.

“The government has been relying heavily on the political benefits of social security schemes and doles to various sections of the population, for which it has been spreading itself thin in other — often crucial — areas. But roads, at least till a few years ago, were never really de-prioritised by this dispensation,” the official added.

Sources said that the PWD used non-plan funds to repair damaged roads, while the plan funds were usually spent to strengthen existing roads and lay new roads. State highways and urban roads are usually built and repaired with the allocations given to the PWD.

Sources said that the drastic cut in last year’s allocations left the roads across the state vulnerable, as the PWD could not spend much on upgrading the roads.

Usually, every year, the state should increase allotment to repair roads as the length of roads in the state keeps increasing.

“But in Bengal, the allotment under the non-plan head never increased significantly, although the total length of road has increased every year. But most unfortunately, the drastic reduction in plan head last year has caused a severe blow to the roads in the state since funds allotted under the plan head are often used to strengthen the roads in addition to laying of new roads. Since roads were not strengthened last year, this year’s heavy rainfall took a toll on the roads,” said an engineer.

Senior engineers also pointed out that a lack of interest from the state to allot money to regularly repair old roads has also taken a toll on the roads.

“Usually, a 20 per cent increase in the allotment under the non-plan head is desirable annually, to deal with the increase in total length of roads in the state. But in Bengal, a less than 5 per cent increase is witnessed annually. This is why regular repair of old roads is not done, causing severe damage to the roads,” said a source.

He explained why a heavy annual increase in allotment of funds was needed for the repair of roads.

“In 2020, the total length of state highways in Bengal was 3,646km. But the total length of state highways has touched nearly 3,800km in 2025. But the allotment did not increase as desired, and that’s why the repair of roads of old stretches remained neglected,” the official explained.