Balangir: The Balangir Action Committee has threatened to launch a movement over its demand for the much-awaited bypass road project that has been hanging fire.

Members of several organisations, who attended a meeting here recently to discuss about bypass road issue, voiced their concern over the "indifferent attitude" of the departments concerned with the execution of the road project and also the silence of the local politicians on the issue.

The Balangir Action Committee plans to stage a demonstration in front of the district collector's office from Wednesday to demand faster execution of the bypass road project.

Convener of Balangir Action Committee Gopaljee Panigrahi said that it was very unfortunate that both government officials and politicians were "indifferent" to the necessity of the bypass road.

"The project was first estimated at a cost of Rs 46 lakh in 2009 which has now gone up to Rs 241 crore. Difficulty in private and forestland acquisition has hindered the progress of the work. Government officials and politicians must take initiatives to ensure that the bypass road becomes a reality," Panigrahi said.

The 23-km-long bypass has been divided into three parts and three agencies - the Industrial Infrastructure Development Corporation (Idco), the public works department (PWD) and the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) - are implementing the work.

Idco has already constructed road on a five-kilometre stretch from the Industrial Training Institute on Sambalpur Road to Larkipali.

Public works department is supposed to carry out road construction on the next six kilometres from Larkipali to NH-26 at Bijakhaman.

The NHAI is set construct the last part of the bypass on a 12-kilometre stretch from Madhiapali near Puintala to NH-26 at Bijakhaman.