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| Statues installed near Khannagar traffic signal as part of the beautification drive from Bajrakabati to Khanngar in Cuttack. Picture by Badrika Nath Das |
Cuttack, March 1: Cuttack Municipal Corporation’s (CMC) beautification project of the Ring Road, which encircles the city, is running behind schedule.
Although the project work started in 2010, a little over 60 per cent of it has been completed so far, leading to resentment among various quarters.
“It has now been over three years, but the beautification of the Ring Road is yet to be completed. The civic body should complete the project at the earliest,” said Ramesh Das, a resident of Tulsipur.
However, CMC officials said nearly Rs 50 lakh had already been spent on the Ring Road beautification drive that is being carried out in public-private-partnership mode.
Two private agencies have been entrusted with the project work that includes installation of tiles on the pavement, mid-verge landscaping and installation of chairs overlooking the Mahanadi and Kathjodi rivers.
So far, the installation of coloured tiles has been completed on a 1.5-km stretch from Khannagar to high court, Satichoura to Bidanasi (1.5km), Madhusudan Nagar to Sea Shore (2km) and at Jobra.
The same work is yet to begin from Press Chhak to Khannagar (2km), high court to Satichoura (1.5km), Chahata to Madhusudan Nagar (1km) and Sea Shore to Matamatha (1km) on the Ring Road.
“Although we welcome this initiative of the civic body, so far it has not been able to ensure maintenance as the footpaths have been damaged at a few places, including Satichoura,” said Dilip Swain, a resident of CDA.
CMC officials, on the other hand, said efforts were on to ensure that the beautification project of the Ring Road was completed. “The installation of coloured tiles, landscaping and development of mid-verge will soon be taken up from Press Chhak to Khannagar,” said CMC executive engineer Lalita Mohan Das.
He said a detailed project report on the status of the work was being prepared to complete pending work.
