Odisha CM lays foundation stones for elevated corridor between Jaydev Vihar and Nandankanan; new Lok Seva Bhawan
Bhubaneswar(By Abhishek Mohanty): Odisha
Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi on Monday laid the foundation stones for a new elevated corridor from Jayadev Vihar to Nandankanan and an ultra-modern Lok Seva Bhawan in Bhubaneswar, marking a significant boost to infrastructure development in the state capital. The combined estimated cost of the two projects is Rs 4,575 crore.
The elevated corridor project, costing Rs 952 crore, will include four flyovers at Jayadev Vihar, Kalinga Hospital, Damana and KIIT squares, and is aimed at easing traffic congestion on one of Bhubaneswar’s busiest stretches.
The new Lok Seva Bhawan project, estimated at Rs 3,623 crore, will come up on a 71.13-acre campus and will house both the state secretariat and the Odisha Legislative Assembly.
Keeping future delimitation in view, the new Assembly building will have seating capacity for 300 members.
Addressing a state-level programme at the Convention Hall of Lok Seva Bhawan during the National Road Safety Month, the Chief Minister expressed concern over rising road accidents and announced a series of measures to strengthen road safety.
He said the state government is focusing on six “E’s” — Education, Enforcement, Engineering, Emergency care, Environment and Evaluation - to reduce accidents and improve traffic discipline.
CM Majhi announced that road safety has now been included as a key component of Good Governance. He also introduced the “Chief Minister Road Safety Scheme Award” to recognise districts, educational institutions and private organisations for exemplary road safety initiatives, while holding poor performers accountable.
As part of innovative safety measures, the Chief Minister inaugurated a warning bell system at Kalinga Ghat to alert drivers of oncoming vehicles. The pilot project will be extended to other ghat roads based on its success.
To improve traffic management in the Bhubaneswar–Cuttack twin cities, an MoU was signed with IIT Kharagpur for scientific planning and system improvements.
Emphasising sustainable transport, the Chief Minister inaugurated 15 electric vehicle charging stations in Bhubaneswar. He said 85 more stations are under construction across the state. He also inaugurated 14 new Atal Bus Stands across 10 districts at a cost of Rs 156.53 crore and flagged off 100 new BS-VI standard buses worth Rs 46 crore under OSRTC. A Closed Loop Smart Transit Card for cashless travel on OSRTC buses was also launched.
Besides, 25 new electric buses were inaugurated from a CRUT-built depot in Berhampur to serve the city and nearby areas.
The CM also inaugurated and laid foundation stones for 71 Works Department projects worth Rs 6,700 crore across the state.
Appealing to the public for cooperation, CM Majhi urged citizens to follow traffic rules and drive responsibly, saying, “Drive safe, come home safe.”
Commerce and Transport Minister Bibhuti Bhushan Jena, Works and Law Minister Prithviraj Harichandan, and several other ministers and senior officials attended the programme, while ministers from various districts joined virtually.
