Jagatsinghpur: Panchayat elections are round the corner in the state, the issue of communication in Tirtol constituency of Jagatsinghpur district has come to the fore.
Two major bridge projects across the Mahanadi river in the areas have not yet started. The two proposed bridges assume importance for communication sector in the constituency. The projects are getting delayed due to changes in designs and other factors while locals have expressed unhappiness over the delay.
Reports said, after the death of Tirtol MLA Bishnu Charan Das the bye-election to the Assembly seat was necessitated. Communication is a major issue in the riparian villages along the Mahanadi. Locals had been demanding bridges across the Mahanadi for a long time.
Ahead of the bye-polls, Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik laid the foundation stone for two bridges through video-conferencing – one connecting Tirtol and Posal and another connecting Jaipur and Katikata high level.
After this, people were happy that their long pending demand was fulfilled. Locals lamented that 10 months have passed since their foundation laying, nothing has started as yet.
Rs 118.56 crore has been estimated towards the cost of Tirtol-Posal high level bridge. The 900-meter long bridge will be made of steel.
But its design was changed later. The rural development is executing the projects. Authorities of the rural development department have decided to build a concrete bridge instead.
The second bridge linking Jaipur and Katikata was pegged at Rs 85.55 crore. This bridge will be of 1300 metre long. Its cost estimate has remained unchanged.
It was learnt that over 1.5 lakh people living in 28 riparian panchayats of Cuttack and Kendrapara districts will benefit in communication front.
However, the delay in bridge construction has caused resentment among people at a time when the panchayat elections are approaching.
As for the Tirtol-Posal bridge project, Ananta Gopal Satpathy, executive engineer of the rural development department, said that after the tender, an agreement with the contractor concerned has been signed two months ago.
“After rainy season or after Dussehra, its construction work will be taken up. The project will be completed in two years,” he added. Meanwhile, tender for the Jaipur-Katikata bridge has been finalized and an agreement with the contractor will be signed soon. Its work will be started after the monsoon, it was learnt.
PNN
