Post News Network
Bhubaneswar, Dec 21: Chief Secretary Gokul Chandra Pati has directed all officials concerned and the Puri district administration to complete by January all pending work for the Nabakalebar festival that is less than seven months away.
Pati has at a high-level meeting asked tourism and culture secretary Aravind Padhee to ensure creation of temporary accommodation for about one lakh devotees and tourists during the festival and has asked them to expedite the work, according to sources.
Around 20,000 beds are available in hotels at Puri and with more than 30 new hotels and other temporary accommodation coming up in the city ahead of Nabakalebar, the number of beds is expected to touch 30,000, sources said.
Tourism department officials said hotel and lodge owners have been advised to create space for temporary accommodation in the vacant space on their premises.
A major hindrance to infrastructure development ahead of the festival scheduled to be held in the middle of next year is the fund crunch. The state housing and urban development (H&UD) department has sought `252 crore under eight projects for Nabakalebara festival, in reply to the request for proposals made by the Planning Commission of India.
Pati, who reviewed the progress of infrastructure development and other service-oriented initiatives, has asked the officials concerned to complete projects whose deadline has been postponed to March 2015 from December 2014.
Several important projects such as road construction inside and outside the Pilgrim City, doubling of the national highway, enhancement of health services and drainage systems are among the major projects that are yet to be completed for the mega event for which the state government is expecting more than 30 lakh visitors and devotees.
The work of identifying and demolishing unsafe buildings in the city is yet to be taken up in several places. The Chief Secretary has asked officials to expedite this work and has also asked ASI officials to carry out repair and renovation work inside the temple at the earliest.
