2 yrs on, bridge ready but unused

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Padmapur: Residents in several riparian villages under Basudevpur and Tihidi blocks in Bhadrak district have been suffering from commuting problems despite a bridge over Mantei at Matiasahi in Bahabalpur
panchayat been completed two years ago.
The reason being the approach road to the bridge has been caught in some land dispute, reports said.
It may be mentioned here that an approach road means any public or private roadway or driveway connection between the outside edge of the shoulder or curb line and the right-of-way line of a road, intended to provide vehicular access to, from, or across said road and the adjacent or adjoining property.
The bridge project which includes the construction of the approach road is to be completed by the rural development department.
Sources said that the connectivity issue may be a burning issue in the upcoming polls.
The department was to carry out the Rs 5 crore worth project and Nabard too contributed in its construction. The project was supposed to be completed in 2012-13 however it did not meet the deadline. Three years later, in 2015-16, the department again floated a tender and just two years ago the bridge was constructed.
Sources said land acquisition for the approach road has been stalled by some villagers. Though the Central revenue divisional commissioner (RDC) had made an agreement with the land owners to provide compensatory government land to them but it has not been implemented yet. Around 77 decimal of land which is with the villagers is required for the road construction and so, the administration as per the agreement was to compensate the villagers with government land but till date it has handed over only 65 decimal of land to them.
Villagers are vexed at the administration for delaying in implementation of the RDC’s agreement.
Meanwhile, residents of Jagannathprasad, Balimeda, Laxmidaspur, Rajagharpokhari, Birasa, Bideipur and Balimunda under Basudevpur block, and Saya, Maharampur and Bahabalpur under Tihidi block have to commute over a feeble wooden bridge.
The villagers waned of building houses on the approach road if the administration failed to provide them land. When contacted, Tihidi tehsildar Anita Nayak said as per the RDC directive, the farmers will be provided land so as to carry forward the construction of the approach road.