Bhubaneswar: To ease traffic flow at the accident-prone Khandagiri and Gohira squares, the state government and the Centre Friday decided to build two flyovers there. Work on the two projects is likely to begin in April.
Both the projects got the go-ahead at a high-level meeting attended by Chief Secretary Aditya Prasad Padhi, Secretary of Union Ministry of Road, Transport and Highways Sanjaya Mitra, senior officials of National Highway Authority of India (NHAI) and other mandarins of the state government. The meeting was held here at the Secretariat.
“Among others, discussions were held on a proposal to construct a flyover at Khandagiri Square and it was sanctioned in the meeting. The tender process for the flyover will be completed by March, while work will begin from April,” Padhi told media persons after the meeting.
The need for the projects was discussed in detail. Mitra gave in-principle approval to both the projects and directed NHAI officials to go ahead with preparation of project proposals.
Padhi said the collectors concerned would review the progress of NH works in their respective districts every month.
Appreciating the proactive support and cooperation of the state machinery in implementing National Highway projects, Mitra said, “There are some genuine issues and people are involved in many cases. Then there are laws regarding environment and forests as well. But we are very happy that the Orissa government has given us all possible support for the last many years, and the programme on National Highways in the state is one of the best in the country.”
At the meeting, it was also decided that the Samjajpur railway overbridge would be completed before the upcoming Rath Yatra. Similarly, the NH from Mangala Ghat to Sterling Hotel in Puri would be made motorable by that time, sources said.
Progress of various NH projects was reviewed during the meeting, which also resolved issues relating to forest diversion proposals, disbursement of compensation, permission for tree felling, and permissive possession of government land.
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