The road in Forest Park, Sishu Bhavan Square, has been narrowed because of land encroachment. Road expansion work in the area is stalled because of this. Picture by Sanjib Mukherjee

Bhubaneswar, April 9: The high and mighty appear to be a stumbling block to the expansion of a major link from Sishu Bhavan Square to the road that would lead to the city’s new airport terminal.

The project cannot move forward without acquiring land under the “permissive possession” of 29 persons, including six retired chief secretaries, who occupy spacious houses along this road.

The original road was 80 feet wide. But, it has been reduced by half with the general administration department giving the house owners permissive possession to develop greenery on the stretch.

Sources said such possession of land could be vacated whenever the government wanted it back for use. However, in this case, the government has, so far, not answered to the public works department’s request to vacate the land for road expansion. This is being attributed to the clout that the house owners wield in the government.

Moreover, there seems to be another issue delaying the project. The first plot at the starting point of the project near Sishu Bhavan has a bank located on it and there is an apartment complex near Airport Square. The size of the plots on which these buildings stand varies from 6,000sqft to 7,000sqft.

“We have discussed the issue in the city management group meet several times without reaching any conclusion. A letter was also written to the general administration department, but nothing happened,” said a senior engineer of the public works department.

Sources in the general administration department, however, said: “The state government has allotted houses on the left side of the stretch from Airport Square to Sishu Bhavan Square. Earlier, the house owners had planted trees in the area as traffic was not much on this road. But now, many have encroached on the available open space.”

The department officials, however, denied that the issue had ever been discussed in the city management group meeting. Director, estates of the general administration department, Pradip Kumar Rath, said: “Discussions at the meeting is not enough. The public works department should write to us, pointing out specifically where permissive possession had been given. Only then can action be taken.”

Secretary of the public works department Subhendu Kumar Ray said: “The chief engineer (roads) might have written to the general administration department. But, from this office there has been no communication. As the permissive possession is on government land, there should be no problem removing this.”

On the allegations of powerful people trying to exert pressure on the government in this matter, Ray said: “There is no pressure from anyone.”

Once the road widening is over, the city will have a circular grid of roads, connecting almost all the important areas.