Chief minister Naveen Patnaik inaugurates a water supply project for Baramunda in Bhubaneswar on Wednesday. Picture by Sanjib Mukherjee

Bhubaneswar, Nov. 13: Chief minister Naveen Patnaik went on an inauguration and foundation stone laying spree today and launched projects worth over Rs 15 crore across the city and its outskirts.

While these measures appear to be aimed at wooing voters for the civic polls, BJD leaders termed the programmes as regular.

The present council of the Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation will be dissolved after December 9 and the district administration is gearing up to finalise the voter list by November 25.

The projects that were launched today included power and water supply, a park and a community centre. Naveen inaugurated a power grid near Biju Patnaik International Airport, laid the foundation stone of a local grid near Jagamara and a power supply unit for Suka Vihar near Dumduma.

While the power grid near the airport was built at a cost of Rs 4.74 crore, the Jagamara grid will cost Rs 3.55 crore. The Suka Vihar power supply project near Dumduma will cost Rs 62 lakh.

The chief minister inaugurated three drinking water projects for people staying at Baramunda and nearby areas, Rajib Nagar near Ainginia, Dumduma Housing Board Colony Phase-I and Jadupur.

Bhubaneswar MLA (Ekamra) Ashok Panda said: “The new grid inaugurated near the international airport will ensure uninterrupted and quality power supply to the airport and its surrounding areas, a grid near Jagamara, for which foundation was laid today, will help the residents of that locality.”

Panda, however, said the drinking water project for Baramunda and its nearby areas, Rajib Nagar and two localities in Dumduma would give priority to people, who had remained without pipe-water supply for long.

Dumduma resident and councillor Kartiksundar Ray said: “The Dumduma Housing Board Colony has five phases and four of these had pipe water supply. Phase-I was not linked to it. This phase has now been linked.”

Public Health Engineering Organisation superintending engineer Chittaranjan Jena said: “Improvement of water supply to Baramunda and nearby areas was done at an investment of Rs 1.8 crore. It will benefit 13,000 people and fulfil the demand of 1.6 million litres a day.”

Public Health Engineering Organisation executive engineer (division-III) P.K. Swain said the water supply project at Dumduma and Jadupur areas needed Rs 1.53 crore and will help 11,565 people.

A pipe-water project for Rajib Nagar near Aingina was inaugurated to target a population of 600 with a water requirement of 93,000 litres a day. “The water will come from Naraj treatment plant via Ghatikia and the facility needed Rs 39.59 lakh,’’ said assistant engineer P.S.N. Patro.

The chief minister also inaugurated a park built by the Bhubaneswar Development Authority (BDA) at Badagada Brit Colony today.

“The park has pathways for walking and jogging, children’s rides and sitting arrangements. Toilets will be installed here,” said BDA chief horticulturist (in-charge) Ashok N. Dhar.

“The community centre inaugurated by the chief minister at Suka Vihar will help local people host social gatherings,” said Srimanta Mishra of the municipal corporation.