Joda: Clouds of uncertainty are hovering over a flyover project proposed in Joda town of Keonjhar for various reasons, a report said.
According to the report, Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik laid the foundation stone of this ambitious project November 12, 2020, through video conferencing. The 4.87-km-long bridge project has been estimated at a cost of Rs 206.02 crore. It will start from DAV School to Joda Government Hospital.
However, locals are unsure of when the work of this bridge project will begin.
Odisha Bridge Construction Corporation Limited (OBCCL) had floated a tender for its construction. A Gujarat –based construction company bagged the contract, but it has not yet signed an agreement with the OBCCL.
On the other hand, the OBCCL has opened an office at PWD inspection bungalow. A junior engineer and another employee have been appointed in the office.
Junior engineer Dhaneswar Majhi said that steps will be initiated soon for land acquisition.
The flyover will be of 12 metre width while two service roads (each 5.5 metre wide) will pass under the flyover. Drains with 5.5 meter width will be constructed on both sides of the services roads.
Meanwhile, OBCCL has issued letters to Nesco, OPTCL, BSNL, the Forest department and Joda municipality to remove their respective infrastructures – electricity poles, telephone poles, and roadside trees.
However, an underground slurry pipeline laid by a private mines company will create a hurdle in the construction of the flyover, said Niranjan Bohidar, president of Joda Bikash Parishad.
He added that though a month has passed since the foundation-laying of the project, certain statutory factors are allegedly delaying the project.
The work for the project will be started only after the Gujarat-based company signs the agreement with the OBCCL. Official sources said that timeline of the project construction will be fixed.
PNN
