Sambalpur: The plan for construction of a second ring road in Burla town of this district to ease traffic problems has failed to make any headway.
This is because officials of the district administration are yet to acquire land for the project even though five years have elapsed since the proposed plan, a report said.
Moreover, no special budgetary allocation has been made to implement the project. It has been alleged that the plan has failed to make any headway due to administrative apathy and lack of funds.
Burla town currently has one ring road called ‘Mahatma Gandhi Ring Road’ near the Mahanadi river bank which is from Kacheri Square till Lakshmidunguri on National Highway-55.
Later, it was decided to construct another ring road from Chanrpur till Ashok Niwas to help in easing the burgeoning traffic problems in Burla town. The district administration directed the works department-2 to prepare a plan outlay and undertake measurement of land for the project in 2016.
The officials of the works department first conducted a measurement of the land for the ring road which will be 14-km in length. A total of 41 acre 83 decimals were identified for the project including government land.
The authorities decided to first construct 3.5 kilometres for the project in the first phase and the remainder of the ring road in different phases.
Accordingly a plan outlay for construction of 3.5km of road was sent to the Odisha government seeking approval. However, since then the project has failed to make any headway and is still stuck in administrative logjam.
When contacted, Basistha Pattnaik, executive engineer of works department said the ring road work will start after completion of land acquisition required for the entire project.
Sources said that movement of people and vehicles has eased after construction of a second bridge on the Mahanadi river.
The Sainik School, Police Training centre, CRPF Group Centre, permanent campus of IIM, the second campus of Gangadhar Meher University and the Odisha State Open University are in Basantpur which lies on the other side of the river.
Premier institutes like VIMSAR, VSSUT, and Sambalpur University are also in the area. People will find it easier to commute to their designated locations if the ring road project is completed quickly.
The construction of the ring road will also enhance the beauty of Sambalpur town and help the tourist visiting the district to travel to their choicest destinations.
Tourists will also find it easier to travel to Burla after visiting the Samalei and Ghanteswari temples. Locals demanded that the state government should intervene and immediately start construction of the ring road in Burla town.
PNN
