Puri: If everything goes as per plan, the devotees will have an opportunity to travel on battery operated vehicles from a parking lot at Srijagannath Ballav Mutt to the Lions’ Gate of Srimandir ahead of this year’s Rath Yatra.
The National Aluminum Company Limited (Nalco) will provide 25 battery operated vehicles for the purpose under the Iconic City scheme of the Centre. A decision to this effect was taken at a recent review meeting on the scheme.
“The stretch from Market Square to Srimandir Lions’ Gate will be declared ‘green zone’. These vehicles will be deployed at the Jagannath Ballav Mutt parking lot to carry devotees to Srimandir. A shed will be built near the mutt for the purpose,” said an official of the district administration.
The meeting chaired by Revenue Minister Maheswar Mohanty deliberated on a host of projects which were earlier finalised to be implemented under the Iconic City scheme. In the meeting it was revealed that the battery operated vehicle project will be implemented prior to this year’s Rath Yatra.
Among others, Nalco CMD Tapan Kumar Chand, Collector Aravind Agarwal, District Rural Development Agency project director Uddhav Charan Majhi and municipal executive officer Srikant Tarai were present at the review meeting.
Earlier, the district administration had decided to construct a heritage corridor near Srimandir, a multi-level parking lot in the city and a recreational park at Baliapanda under the Iconic City scheme.
This apart, the administration had finalised to beautify a few parks in the Pilgrim City and build a shelter for devotees at Malatipatpur on the city outskirts.