Promise made to Odisha BJP leaders
Union Minister Road Transport & Highway and Shipping Nitin Gadkari has said he will take up the pending issues relating to next year’s Nabakalebar festival of Shree Jagannath at Puri with Prime Minister Narendra Modi to sort them out.
Gadkari said this to Odisha’s senior BJP leader Bijay Mohapatra in New Delhi on Wednesday when the latter along with another senior State BJP leader Ashok Sahu called on him at his office.
Mohapatra impressed upon the Union Minister that the Nabakalebar festival would be an event of international level as millions of devotees from across the world would visit Puri on the occasion in 2015.
Gadkari said the Prime Minister would be apprised about the event and the Union Government would take steps for smooth arrangements for the devotees.
Earlier, Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik had presented a memorandum for special funds for the Nabakalebar to the Prime Minister.
Mohapatra requested Gadkari to speed up completion of the Bhubaneswar-Puri National Highway before the Nabakalebar, and the Union Minister assured him to expedite the construction of the four laning of the Bhubaneswar-Puri National Highway with all sincerity.
Officials of the National Highway Authority of India (NHAI) would be asked to complete the NH before time, said an official.
Mohapatra also requested Gadkari to provide assistance for the Pipili- Nimapada-Kakatpur-Puri Road, which helps in easing the traffic during the Rath Yatra. The Union Minister also promised to look into the matter keeping in view the Nabakalebar.
Mohapatra and Sahu also discussed the issues with both the Union Ministers from Odisha, Jual Oram and Dharmendra Pradhan, who promised to do their best for the cause of the Nabakalebar festival.