Although MlA Sarada Nayak is boasting of the BJD Government’s success stories in the election campaigning here, he forgets to see the deplorable condition of a flyover at Basanti Colony, where a lighting system has not been functioning despite the fact that nine months have lapsed when it was inaugurated.
The much-hyped flyover at Basanti Colony had been inaugurated on July 9 last year by Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik amid presence of Nayak, Minister of State for Commerce and Transport Subrat Tarai and several other BJD heavyweights. When evening falls, the bridge continues to plunge into darkness as the light posts are not working.
The commuters who are moving on it in day time are scared to return during night time because of lack of visibility. An agreement between the Wesco and the Rourkela Municipality is pending for a long time to supply electricity to the light posts in the flyover. The long delays in providing light have meanwhile caused much resentment among the commuters and locals.
Notably, the over bridge work had started in 2008 and it took about long five years to complete it. It was a long standing demand of the locals.Now taking the advantage of darkness, anti socials are wandering on the bridge as a result of which people are not feeling it safe to use the bridge.
Nayak under whose constituency the flyover comes seems to have shut his eyes to the plight of the commuters. Raghunathipali MlA and Minister Tarai could have also taken step to expedite the lighting system but he did noting of the sort.
“I wonder why Sarada Nayak is claiming to have done so much for the development of Rourkela during his stint as MlA. I find there is no development. Even if more than nine months have elapsed since the Chief Minister inaugurated a flyover here, still the light facility is yet to be provided on it,” lamented a resident of Basanti colony.
According to sources, General Electrical Division (GED), Sambalpur, had done tendering for lighting system in the bridge. A local contractor had been assigned to undertake the electrical work. But after nine months, merely 39 electric polls and lamps on them have been installed on the 600 meter bridge.
“Electric polls and lamps have been fitted. Only an agreement between Wesco and Rourkela Municipality is awaited. Now it is the job of Rourkela Municipality to expedite the process,” said Executive Engineer, GED, Sambalpur Kodandadhar Pradhan.However, Rourkela civic body authorities claimed that the GED, Sambalpur had not yet handed over the electrical property to them.
“After getting the property, we will be able to sign an agreement with the Wesco for power supply,” revealed Rourkela Municipality Executive Officer DP Mohapatra.