Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan in a letter to Union Road Transport and Highway Minister Nitin Gadkari on Friday requested him to expedite the expansion work of the Cuttack-Angul and Sambalpur-Angul stretches of National Highway-55.
Pradhan stated that he had received a petition from the people of Boinda in Angul district pointing out inordinate delay in completion of the expansion of the NH sections passing through Odisha. The petitioners said the foundation of the NH was laid in December 2018 and target to be completed by September 2020. But it remains incomplete till date.
The construction of two bridges at Panimahar and Chandan Pokhiri has not yet been completed while seven elephant under pass (EUP) is also pending, Pradhan stated.
Besides, the locals have claimed that the quality of the work by the executing agency was not of good quality. As a result, road accidents on these stretches are increasing regularly. Around 600 lives have been lost in several road mishaps in this area during the last four years.