Bhubaneswar, Feb. 18: The public works department along with the civic body and the development authority will shortly ensure barrier-free access for specially-abled people at 21 major public places in the city.

The initiative comes as part of the Accessible India Campaign of the Union government, which asked the local authorities to identify and put up adequate infrastructure at major public places to provide easy access to specially-abled people. Earlier, the authorities had identified 10 places, which has now been raised to 21.

The plan is to install ramps, construct tracks for wheelchair passage and tactile paving (a system of textured ground surface indicator found on footpaths, stairs and train station platforms to assist pedestrians who are blind or visually impaired). The administration will spend Rs 6.7 crore for the purpose. While the works department will take on the project on buildings, the Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation and the Bhubaneswar Development Authority will do the same in recreational areas.

"It is necessary to provide access to specially-abled people to the government buildings and recreational zones. We had taken inputs from this section of the society while preparing the smart city proposal last year. The work will begin shortly," said mayor Ananta Narayan Jena.

The government buildings where the barrier-free access will be provided are the Jaydev Bhavan, Hare Krishna Mahatab State Library, the Heads of Departments Building, State Museum, secretariat, Capital Hospital, Commissionerate Police, Rabindra Mandap, Rajdhani College, BJB Autonomous College and the Rajeev Bhavan. The Indira Gandhi Park and the Biju Patnaik Park will also have barrier-free access. "We have already received funds for the project. We are hopeful of completing the work within six months," said an authority official.

"We had to depend on somebody while entering any prominent government office here. I hope that the government will expedite the work and finish it on time," said Gajendra Pradhan, a visually impaired employee at the Blind Association.