The cut-off areas of Malkangiri district finally joined the mainland as Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik inaugurated the long-awaited Gurupriya bridge here on Thursday.
“It is not just a bridge, it will be the identity and Swabhiman of Malkangiri. I dedicate this special project to people of Odisha and India. At the core of development is connectivity.
The Gurupriya Setu is a national pride and symbolises peace, cooperation and progress.
It is a testimony to our commitment to integrate all parts of Odisha to that mainland and thereby to prosperity. It is our dream come true and is truly a Bridge of Progress,” Patnaik said.
On the occasion, the CM appealed to the Maoists in the region “to forsake violence and embrace progress that the bridge brings to the region”.
Residents of as many as 151 villages will get road connectivity after inauguration of the 910-metre-long bridge over the Gurupriya river.
Constructed at a cost of more than Rs 187 crore, the bridge is expected to put an end to the inconvenience faced by around 30,000 people of the villages who have been cut off from the mainland for nearly six decades after the Chitrakonda reservoir was created due to construction of the Balimela project.
The planning for construction of the bridge had started in 1986 but could not be executed due to its remote location, inaccessibility, presence of Maoists and other factors. The construction eventually began in 2014 in full swing.
It is also expected that the bridge will help expedite the development process in the area in terms of health, education, economic activities, electrification and access to public services through the improved connectivity. This apart, the bridge will facilitate efforts for combating Maoist activities in the district. The bridge is completely guarded by the BSF and surrounded by CCTV cameras.