Bhubaneswar: The development authority encountered another hurdle in laying the alternative road between Jayadev Vihar and Nadankanan to ease traffic, this time the Sainik School coming in the way of its plan.

Opposition to construction of the bypass through the middle of the Sainik School premises has forced the Bhubaneswar Development Authority to cancel tender for the project. The school's Old Boy's Association was the first to raise its banner of revolt to the move. According to the plan, the road goes straight from Sainik School Square to Damana Square.

The tender for the project was cancelled after the association lodged a complaint with chief secretary Aditya Prasad Padhi and a meeting of top officials was called to resolve the issue.

"The officers, who are planning the new four-lane road through the Sainik School, seem to be obsessed with a straight stretch. Such a road is not possible since several institutions, including the Railway Hospital, would come in the way," the grievance letter reads.

The association members said the road would disturb the serene, tranquil atmosphere of the school and put the lives of students and staff in danger as they would have to cross it several times to access various facilities housed on the other side of the proposed road.

Association secretary Amitav Swain said that in the past 50 years, about 600 students of Sainik School had joined the armed forces in the officer cadre.

"In the 60s, a road was laid from Acharya Vihar to Sainik School, and later it was expanded to the Kalinga Hospital. However, the planners have not left any space for widening the road right now," said Swain.

The development body has planned five parallel roads each on the left and right sides of the stretch connecting Jayadev Vihar and Nadankanan. The aim was to ease the traffic.

After floating a tender for the Gadakana-Sainik School road in October, the authorities cleared some encroachment and started the work. The road was planned to be laid through Damana Square, Netaji Subhash Enclave, East Coast Railway area, Sainik School, Sainik School Square on Acharya Vihar, Kalinga Hospital Road and the other way round.

"We received the communication from the chief secretary's office and called on a meeting to resolve the issues pertaining to the Sainik School. We will look if we can be able to divert the original plan and have another connective point for the master road. We are shortly coming up with a solution for this," said an authority official.

Patia resident Priyabrata Mohanty said the congestion between Nandankanan and Jayadev Vihar was increasing, and it was necessary to have alternative road networks here. "It is a good decision of the authorities to think of alternative roads for this stretch. It is getting dense and chances of accidents are also looming high," said Mohanty, a corporate employee.