Bhubaneswar: Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan Thursday laid foundation stones for three national highway (NH) projects and as many underpasses in the state Thursday.
Performing the ground breaking ceremony of the projects of National Highway Authority of India (NHAI), Pradhan said “As part of the Golden Quadrilateral project, former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayeeji had sanctioned four-lane roads for the state. The current PM (Narendra Modi) is upgrading them to six lanes.”
The projects included 56.77-km long six laning of Bhubaneswar-Tangi (Rs 806.11 crore) and 62.64-km long Bhadrak-Balasore sections of NH-16 (Rs 999 crore) and construction of three vehicular under-passes (VUPs) at Balikuda, Sikharpur and Barchana on Bhubaneswar-Chandikhole section of NH-16 (Rs 1,000 crore). All these projects worth Rs 2067.5 crore would be completed within 30 months.
“Locals and people’s representatives had been demanding construction of these VUPs and today it is being fulfilled,” he said.
“The projects will boost Odisha’s economy, generate employment opportunities and improve socio-economic condition of the people,” the minister further said.
He said the NHs will also provide better interstate connectivity between West Bengal, Odisha and Andhra Pradesh.
The BJP leader alleged that the state government is not cooperating for smooth implementation of Central projects worth Rs 1.36 lakh crore fearing that Narendra Modi would take the credit for it.
In response to Pradhan’s allegation, BJD spokesperson Sasmit Patra said, “Union minister, who is a habitual liar, has also lied today. What happened to the proposed Cuttack-Sambalpur NH project? Why the work has not been started yet? Will he answer it as there is no problem in land acquisition for this project?”
It is laughable that the Union Minister has laid the foundation stones for the NH projects after five years of the government of his party and when the poll is nearing, the BJD leader said.