Bhanjanagar: The 103-year-old office building of Divisional Forest Officer (DFO) in Bhanjanagar, which now stands in a dilapidated condition, will soon find a new address.
Originally built in 1922, the ageing structure standing on a 1,856-sq ft plot has grown increasingly unfit for use, especially with a rise in the number of officers and staff. The lack of adequate workspace further underscores the need for a new facility.
Following a directive from local MLA Pradyumna Kumar Nayak, DFO Himanshu Sekhar Mohanty has initiated steps for the construction of a new office. A proposal has been submitted to build the new facility on the Lal Singh Permanent Nursery premises along the College Road.
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The Forest department is in the process of preparing the design for a two-storey building on 18,000 sq ft land. The blueprint will be sent to higher departmental authorities for approval, after which the government will take the next steps. The estimated cost of the project is over Rs 5 crore.
Once completed, the office will be shifted there from the old building, resulting in an official change of address.
The DFO office is part of a broader legacy of British-era infrastructure in Bhanjanagar. During their rule, the British took numerous steps to develop the region — then known as Ghumusar — in areas such as education, irrigation, transport and healthcare. Notable projects included the Bhanjanagar Lohrakhandi bridge, Russelkonda reservoir, medical facility and sub-jail, all of which were constructed by 1884.
They also focused on forest conservation, establishing the Ghumusar North forest division in 1922 and the Mujagada forest range in 1915. British administrators built a glasshouse on the Balingia hills in 1904 as a leisure retreat and forest outpost, which now remains inaccessible and in ruins due to the surrounding dense jungle.
In 1913, they also built the Rambha Dak Bungalow in the region, further expanding the forest infrastructure.
Meanwhile, other colonial-era buildings in Bhanjanagar—including the sub-collector’s office and tehsil office—are also facing structural decay and may require demolition and reconstruction in the near future.
PNN
