Bhubaneswar: 5T Secretary VK Pandian Monday reviewed progress in work at different sites under the EKAMRA Project, for which Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik laid the foundation June 28. After the review, the 5T directed the authorities to speed up the work asking for early start to different components under the project.
Notably, Ekamra Kshetra Amenities and Monuments Revival Action Plan (EKAMRA) were launched to revive the heritage value of the inner core of the Old Town area of Bhubaneswar through urban revamp and redesign. After reviewing the work plan and work schedule prepared by the agency for redevelopment, Pandian instructed the agency to finalise all the detailed designs and mobilise materials and machineries. He asked the officials in charge to start working on the road from Taleswar to Kotitirtheswar road, the box drains from Sanatorium Chhak to Taleswar and onwards, the north parking along with the link road and duct-laying works along the outer access road. Public amenities on both sides of Purbadwar Chhaak, behind Lingaraj haat and near south west parking should also be started at the same time, he suggested. Pandian advised the people in charge to complete the project in time.
Works department principal secretary VVK Yadav, police commissioner Soumendra Priyadarsi, BMC commissioner VA Kulange, Khurda Collector KS Chakraborty, OBCC MD, and other senior officials were present during the 5T Secretary’s visit. The old town, also known as Ekamra Kshetra, is a living heritage site with many temples, sacred water bodies, processional routes and traditional communities of priests residing in the locality. The Chief Minister, to restore and revitalise the heritage sites of the area, had earlier initiated restoration of Bindu Sagar and setting up of Ekamra Bana project.