Vijayawada-Ranchi Highway work in slow progress

SAMBALPUR: The foundation stone for 29.10- km-road stretch from Rairakhol to Naktideul was laid in June 2008 to usher in development of Maoist-hit areas.  Three years later, the project, part of the 1,251-km Ranchi-Vijayawada corridor, there has been little progress.Being developed for better mobility of security forces, ARSS Infrastructure Projects Limited was entrusted with the work from Berhampur-Phulbani and Rairakhol-Naktideul, Banigochha-Sarauguda and Jagannathpur-Berhampur-Phulbani Road works. The 29.10-km long road from Rairakhol to Naktideul is being developed at an estimated cost of ` 65.11 crore. Though as per schedule the work should have been completed by December 1, 2010, construction of many bridges along the stretch is lying incomplete resulting in frequent accidents.While diversion routes along the bridges have not been properly guarded, roads have been dug up at many places, including Naktideul bus stand. The route will criss-cross the Red Corridor and is aimed at easy and faster movement of troops to combat the ultras. It is also expected to facilitate bringing backward areas to the mainstream by improving economic conditions of the inhabitants of interior pockets and opening up employment opportunities. With the work moving at a snail’s pace and monsoon on the threshold, apprehensions have been raised over the completion of the stretch before March 2014, the scheduled date. Meanwhile, cost overrun seems imminent. Meanwhile, the incomplete work has worried the residents of Naktideul who fear that the trenches dug up would overflow during monsoon which may also result in cutting off the area from Rairakhol.The project will cover Malkangiri, Jeypore, Rayagada, Gajapati, Ganjam, Kandhamal, Boudh, Sambalpur, Angul, Deogarh, Keonjhar and Mayurbhanj districts in  Orissa.