Cuttack: Orissa high court on Saturday expressed strong displeasure over continuing poor condition of Cuttack’s roads, observing that repeated judicial directions since 2020 and compliance affidavits had failed to bring any visible improvement on the ground.A division bench of Justices K R Mohapatra and V Narasingh, in a special sitting concerning the city’s roads, said the issue had “clogged the board” of the bench for years and the repeated orders reflected “administrative apathy”.The court had summoned senior officials after expressing concern over the “appalling state” of roads. Housing and urban development additional chief secretary Usha Padhee assured the bench that a comprehensive plan was being prepared for construction, maintenance and repair of roads. She also informed the court that a DPR was being prepared to address stormwater discharge and waterlogging during monsoon.Works department officials submitted a special proposal for road repairs under Cuttack R&B division-I. The bench directed the department to file an affidavit within seven days, detailing measures taken and timelines for completion. Similar steps are to be taken for roads under division-II.CMC commissioner Kirandeep Kaur Sahota informed the court about ongoing road construction and repairs in CDA section-13, which would subsequently be handed over to CMC for maintenance. However, the bench remained unconvinced when CMC counsel claimed 70% of arterial roads were in good condition, saying the submission was difficult to accept given complaints received from ward-level advocates’ committees.The committees were directed to inspect arterial roads in their respective wards and submit comprehensive reports within seven days.The matter has been posted for Sept 10.Recalling its earlier directions to the works department and Cuttack Municipal Corporation (CMC) to make roads motorable, the bench said the orders demonstrated the court’s repeated concern and the authorities’ “blissful inaction on the ground”.The court observed that affidavits filed in compliance with its directions had not resulted in motorable roads, with the city trapped in an “agonising cycle” of “pot holes-repairs-onset of monsoon and again pot holes”.Quoting Kafka’s ‘The Castle’, the bench said, “there is infinite hope but not for us”, before expressing hope that the executive’s assurances would finally lead to “visible changes” on Cuttack’s streets and not remain confined to affidavits and compliance reports.Emphasising the constitutional significance of roads, the bench said, “A road is not mere tar and stone. It’s a lifeline under Article 19(1)(d) read with Article 21 of the Constitution.”