Traffic jam on the narrow stretch from Delta Square to Jagamara. Picture by Sanjib Mukherjee

Bhubaneswar, Aug. 30: Lack of co-ordination between the public works department and a road contractor, dispute over funds allocation and land acquisition problems have taken a toll on Khandagiri resident Parthasarathi Das.

Everyday, Das has to commute through an incomplete stretch, which was planned to connect City Women’s Collegeand Gandamunda to ease the traffic mess between Siripur Square and adjoining areas, but has remained incomplete for the past two years.

“The other existing road joining Delta Square and Jagamara is the link between the two ends of the city — Unit-VIII and OUAT colonies and Khandagiri via Jagamara. But, with the population growth along the Gandamunda-Khandagiri stretch, the traffic often exceeds the carrying capacity of the narrow road. On many occasions, the stretch becomes chock-a-block, putting commuters in trouble,” he said.

Das said during peak hours, between 9.30am and 10.30am, the stretch became congested with pedestrians and vehicles.

Like Das, other pedestrians and motorists, too, have been facing the same traffic congestion on the Delta Square-Jagamara Road. The completion of the road is badly awaited following a population boom in areas such as Bhaktamadhu Nagar, Gandamunda, Jagmohan Nagar, Jagamara and Khandagiri.

Work on the City Women’s College-Gandamunda stretch began in 2011, but it has got stuck at an under-construction culvert over the natural channel No. 8.

The incomplete road from City Women’s College to Gandamunda near OUAT Farm Chhak at Baramunda. Picture by Sanjib Mukherjee

Baramunda resident Samir Jena said: “The road construction started in 2011 and it should have been completed by now. But due to delay in land acquisition, the progress was not visible and the contractor could not start the work in time. The department authorities should co-ordinate with the contractor to get things done.”

Panchanan Mohanty, the newly appointed executive engineer of the department (division III) in the city, admitted that the deadline for completing the road was over.

“There was some dispute regarding the allocation of funds with the contractor. However, I have talked to him and he assured me to start the work in a couple of days,” he said.

Sources said, according to state government rules, a contractor is liable for monetary penalty if work was not over in time.

But, as the land acquisition responsibility lies with the agencies other than the works department, the job often gets delayed due to lack of co-ordination.

In case of this road, too, land acquisition took a long time and after it was over the contractor did not get much time to complete the work.

“We have asked the contractor to take up the work and finish it as soon as possible, so that he will not lose his money and he has agreed to do that. We hope that the discussions with him will become fruitful,” said a senior official.

Kavita Parida of Parida Constructions, the agency entrusted with the road job, said: “The delay in execution of the work was due to slow land acquisition process. However, the public works department officials had called us for a cordial discussion and proposed an extension of time to complete the work. As we have completed nearly 75 per cent of project, we will take it up and finish it.”

The road was planned after closure of Siripur-Gandamunda road via OUAT main campus after expansion of the old runway of Biju Patnaik Airport.

project hurdle

Project cost: Rs 3.2 crore

Extended deadline: Yet to be finalised

Stretch in focus: From City Women’s College to OUAT Seed Production Centre

Work incomplete: From OUAT Seed Production Centre to Gandamunda

Land acquisition trouble: Officials have run into land row in Jagamara

Funds allocation issue: Delay could lead to Rs 80 lakh loss to the contractor. But after first round of discussion, things seem to be settled as the delay was also caused by works department authorities failure to resolve land acquisition dispute