Sonepur: Delay in land acquisition has become a major hurdle in the expansion of NH-26 connecting Bargarh and Bolangir districts. Part of the NH-26 will also pass through Subarnapur district before reaching Bolangir.
However, work on a 1,400-metre stretch of road from a temple to the FCI godown in Dunguripali town of Subarnapur district has not started at all due to land issues, sources informed Thursday. The deadline for completion of the expansion project was December 14, 2023. Now, however, no one knows when the project will be completed. This stretch is holding up work indefinitely, the sources added. The delay has sparked concern and resentment among people who commute on the highway on a regular basis. They blamed the administrations of Bargarh, Subarnapur and Bolangir districts for the delay in the project. They pointed out that officials have failed to evict those who are forcibly occupying government land.
Sources added that the failure of the district administrations to obtain permission from the Forest department to cut down trees is another reason for the inordinate delay in the completion of the expansion project. The NH-26 is a major road for commuting and connects these three districts with Rajapulova in Vizianagaram district of Andhra Pradesh. It is also a connector with National Highway 5. The National Highway Authority of India (NHAI) had floated a tender worth Rs 208 crore two and half years back for the construction of 72 kilometres of road from Bargarh to Bolangir passing through Subarnapur. The project included expansion of a 21-km stretch from Bargarh town to Barpali into four lanes and the building of another 51 kilometres of road from Barpali to Bolangir. However, to date, the officials involved with the project have failed to give a clear idea regarding its completion. Huge potholes, craters and uneven roads are now the order of the day for all the commuters who use NH-26. After rainfall, these potholes turn into death traps once they are filled with water and slush. It becomes difficult for commuters to identify the potholes and craters leading to accidents. In the last two years, road fatalities and injuries have increased substantially on NH-26. Sources informed that a large number of residents living in the vicinity of the project have refused to give up their lands as they have not been offered proper compensation.
Many business establishments have also refused to vacate government land, sources added. As a result, the company entrusted with the construction of the road is sitting idle. Even though some of the trees that were a hindrance to the project have been cut off, many still remain, the sources pointed out. Residents of Bargarh, Subarnapur and Bolangir districts meanwhile said that it is high time that officials step in to expedite the project. They pointed out that they are suffering due to the apathetic attitude shown by them. Some of the commuters added that NHAI authorities should step in for completion of the project or people will continue to suffer in future also.