Malkangiri: Chief minister Naveen Patnaik is set to inaugurate the Gurupriya bridge here on July 18, connecting the "cut-off areas" of the Maoist-hit district with the mainland, a government official said.

The Gurupriya bridge on river Janbai will ensure easy access to nearby towns for nine panchayats in the inaccessible areas of Malkangiri, considered a Maoist stronghold.

Earlier this year, the state government had installed closed-circuit television (CCTV) cameras on the bridge to help the BSF and CRPF personnel track the movements of Maoists in the area.

BJD MLA from Chitrakonda seat in Malkangiri district Dambaru Sisa said that the construction of the bridge had completed and the 910-metre-long structure would be inaugurated on July 18. "Cut off by Balimela reservoir, people living in the remote part of the district had been demanding a bridge on Janbai river for around 40 years. The new bridge will end decades of isolation for them," he added.

Former chief minister J.B. Patnaik had laid the foundation stone for the bridge in 1982. PTI