Nayagarh: Five years have passed since construction of a bridge under the Biju Setu Yojana at Rayat Odasara under Dasapalla block in Nayagarh district. But it is nowhere near completion, leaving thousands of people in the locality to suffer commuting woes.
They have to wade through the waters of Kuaria river over years and their problems get complicated in the monsoon. Though locals have been drawing attention of the administration, the rural development department and the Chief Minister for quick completion of the bridge, nothing is being done in this regard, it was alleged.
Reports said, Khurda-Bolangir NH-57 passes through Rayat Odasara. The ground-breaking ceremony of the bridge project was done in 2016 at a cost of Rs 311.92 lakh.
Its work was started May 11, 2016 and supposed to be completed in August 10, 2017. The project has already passed the deadline, but the contractor has been delaying the work, locals said.
“We have been suffering in monsoon. We are eagerly waiting for early completion of the bridge. The contractor was given 15 more months to complete the work after its deadline expired. Still, he is doing the work at a snail’s pace. Given the slow pace, the project may not be completed in next 15 years,” fumed Bikash Pradhan, a local resident.
He also pointed out that the area is a tribal-dominated one and hence the contractor does not care for its early completion. According to reports, seven bridges under the Biju Setu Yojana have been sanctioned for Dasapalla Assembly constituency for which Rs 3025.09 lakh has been sanctioned.
The work on four bridges at a cost of Rs 2079.30 lakh has been completed while the work of three bridges at Kumbhari Khani and Sariguda is in progress.
Amaresh Nayak, executive engineer of the rural development division-II explained that after he joined this division, the work of these projects has been expedited.
“The contractor of the said project has stopped the bridge work. His contract was to be cancelled. However, he has started the work after a lot of persuasion. By March, 2022, the project work of Kumbira Khani and Siriganda will be completed,” he added.
PNN