Rourkela: Seven years after laying the foundation stone, chief minister Naveen Patnaik on Wednesday inaugurated the bridge over river Koel built at a cost of Rs 12.6 crore.
The bridge directly connects Nuagaon and Kuanramunda blocks with Rourkela and prevents people from either crossing the river by boat or taking a detour. Nuagaon is a rich vegetable growing area.
The bridge was a long-standing demand of the people.
Executive engineer Deepak Tripathy parried queries on why it took so long for building the small 366-meter long bridge and cited technical reasons for the delay.
The bridge inauguration function was organised near Jhirpani where Naveen also announced inauguration of several other projects like new academic block of government polytechnic, Rourkela, girls' hostel for Utkalmani Homeopathy Medical College and Hospital, Rourkela, dining hall and gymnasium building at Sports Hostel, Panposh, 33 KV substation at Jalda.
Further, from the same place he laid foundation stones for construction of road over bridge at STI and ITI square and Biju Pattnaik indoor sports complex, all in Rourkela and Urban Public Health Centers at Bondamunda, Panposh, Chhend and Basanti Colony area.
In a public meeting at Birsa Munda stadium, he said the government would build an underground sewerage system in Rourkela at an estimated cost of Rs 400 crore and spend around Rs 260 crore for houses for slum dwellers across the state.
"For the construction and kendu leaf workers, the state government has drawn up a series of welfare programmes for which Rs 420 would be spent," he said. Sundargarh MP and Union tribal affairs minister Jual Oram, addressing the meeting, urged the state government to urgently sort out the land problems faced by steel plant displaced persons.
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