Bhubaneswar: Bhimkund in Patna block of Keonjhar will be developed as a world-class tourist spot, with 5T Secretary VK Pandian, who is on a two-day visit to the mineral-rich district, directing the authorities to prepare a Detailed Project Report (DPR) for the purpose, Saturday.
As per the direction of Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik, the 5T Secretary is on a visit to Keonjhar to assess various developmental initiatives.
During his interaction with the locals, Pandian listened to their grievances and assured them that their requests regarding various temples and mosques would be placed before the Chief Minister for consideration.
He announced that the ‘Drink from Tap’ project will be commissioned in Champua NAC in another one month. He said that all the major ULBs have been covered under ‘Drink from Tap’ mission at a cost of `175 crore.
The 5T Secretary assured that the ‘Rural Mega Piped Water Supply’ project would be completed within the stipulated timeline this year. Pandian instructed the officials to expedite any pending work.
Subsequently, he addressed a local gathering at Nehru Stadium, where he acknowledged the demand for floodlights and committed to fulfilling the requirement within a week.
The 5T Secretary visited the Barbil Community Health Centre and inspected the ongoing work at the Nutrition Rehabilitation Centre and Dialysis Centre. Expressing satisfaction, he noted that the facility was effectively catering to the needs of mothers and patients, even from neighbouring state Jharkhand.
He instructed the Collector to take initiative to expand the benefits to the larger public. He also inspected the Barbil Ring Road project which is being constructed at a cost of Rs 1,440 crore and directed the authorities to complete the project in time.
Later, 5T Secretary appreciated the commendable efforts undertaken by the Adivasi Vikash Samiti to provide facilities for tribal students in Jodha block. He announced that the state government would bear the academic costs for the 900 students of Adivasi Vikash Samiti.
The 5T Secretary reviewed the ongoing projects at the Joda flyover site, where officials from OBCC confirmed that the work was progressing as scheduled and would be completed by December 2023. He also announced that funds for the improvement of all the government and aided higher secondary schools and Plus III colleges of the district have been sanctioned by the government.
PNN