Bhubaneswar, June 27: Electric poles and transformers at major squares on National Highway 203, which connects the city to Puri, are hindering traffic between Rasulgarh and Ravi Talkies Square. Encroachments add to the problem. This is significant because this stretch will handle a lot of traffic during the rath yatra.

The traffic wing of the Cuttack-Bhubaneswar police have informed the national highways wing of the state government and the Central Electricity Supply Utility (Cesu) of the problem. But no action has been taken yet. Electric sub-stations and transformers are found dangerously placed at several places on this stretch and there are encroachments near Ravi Talkies, Kalpana Square, Old Station Square and Laxmisagar Square.

“We have written several letters to the national highways wing of state government and the Cesu to widen some of these squares and shift the electrical utilities from the road to facilitate easy movement of traffic. But nothing has been done,’’ said assistant commissioner of police (traffic) Binod Kumar Das.

Das had written to the highways authorities on September 20 last year about expansion of this road at several places. Again on September 26, he had suggested that flyovers be constructed at Kalpana Square and Ravi Talkies. But no one responded to his letters.

Electrical utilities on the NH-203 between Daya bridge and Samantarapur have been shifted, but this has not been done on the Rasulgarh-Ravi Talkies stretch.

NH (Odisha) executive engineer Jaladhar Pradhan said: “We have already widened some roads near Laxmisagar Square by evicting encroachers and plan to do the same near Old Station Square, Satya Nagar flyover, Kalpana and Ravi Talkies Squares.” However, he said co-operation from the police and the local people was crucial in this matter.

Amaresh Jena, the councillor of Chintamaniswar, said: “The electrical utilities and the narrow road makes this stretch dangerous. Nothing has been done despite the authorities claiming that the road would be spruced up before the rath yatra in Puri.”

Cesu superintending engineer S.K. Swain said: “We have just received money from the public works department for shifting the electrical installations at Kalpana Square. We will start work soon.”

NH (Odisha) senior engineer Jaldhar Pradhan said: “As the National Highways Authority of India has started constructing a bypass from Pandra to Daya bridge for NH-203, development of the stretch between Rasulgarh and Ravi Talkies will be solely managed by the state government. As it will be funded exclusively from the state budget, the shifting of electric poles and substations will also depend on the flow of money from the state government.”

“Work on widening this road should be taken up on a war footing because many tourists will take this route to Puri during rath yatra,” said Bijay Mishra, a Saheed Nagar resident.