Bhubaneswar, Oct. 14: If things go according to plans, Bhubaneswar will have a 60-metre-wide ring road surrounding it by 2018.

Bhubaneswar Development Authority (BDA) recently got the go-ahead to acquire 50.416 acres from 13 revenue villages - 12 of Khurda district and one of Puri - for this ambitious project, which, if comes up, will surely smooth the flow of traffic in the city.

The development authority has also decided to implement the transferable development right (TDR) rules and the recently-launched town planning scheme in the proposed project. According to the new rules, landowners will be provided with TDR certificates for the land handed over by them.

"We have got the approval from the state housing and urban development department to begin acquiring land for the ring road project. In the first phase, we will acquire around 50 acres from Pahala to Uttarasan. The land owners will be compensated according to new rules of TDR and town planning," said a senior official of the development authority.

According to the new TDR rules, the land-losers will get a certificate instead of money as has been the usual practice. Exchanging this certificate, the land-losers can buy BDA land of the same size anywhere in the city. The certificate is transferable and they can also choose to sell it to interested buyers or real estate developers. If they don't want the TDS certificate, they will be compensated according the government-recognised value of the land.

"I don't know how the new TDR rule would help us, but the town planning scheme seems beneficial. It will hopefully make our locality better with infrastructure such as good roads and better drainage facilities. The ring road will also be helpful," said Palasuni resident Suchismita Rath.

The proposed 65km-long ring road needs around 760 acres of which about 690 acres is private land and the remaining 70 acres belongs to the government. The development authority will spend Rs 1,200 crore on the project. The proposed ring road will connect Nandankanan in the north, Pahala in the east, Dhauli in the south and Tomando in the west of Bhubaneswar.

According to the present land acquisition plan, the development authority will get hold of 6.304 acres in Pahala, 5.542 in Dadha, 11.665 in Haridaspur, 0.046 in Banguary, 0.930 in Mancheswar, 2.302 in Saradeipur, 5.530 in Gelapur, 2.999 in Bijipur, 0.054 in Nakhaurapatna, 2.351 in Gobardhanpur, 4.189 in Gopinathpur, 2.827 in Dahuli and 5.677 in Uttarasasan.

BDA vice chairman Krishan Kumar said the ring road project would be taken up on priority basis.

"The ring road will ease traffic movement in the city. It will also add to the beauty of the city. Land acquisition is a lengthy process but we hope, with the new rules in place, it will get easier," said Kumar.

Dayananda Mishra, a schoolteacher, said such a road would definitely help streamline the traffic in and around the city.

"Once the ring road is complete, people will be able to bypass the heavy city traffic and get to their destinations quickly," said Mishra.

PROJECT OVERVIEW

• Deadline: 2018
• Length: 65km
• Land required: 760 acres
• Estimated cost: Rs 1200 crore

The ring road will ease the traffic movement in the city... Land acquisition is a lengthy process but we hope, with the new rules in place, it will get easier
Krishan Kumar
vice-chairman, BDA