Much ahead of the proposed Cuttack Municipal Corporation (CMC) elections next month, Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik inaugurated and laid foundation-stones of several projects here on Saturday.
While ruling BJD leaders and workers of the city were overwhelmed over Patnaik’s marathon programme, the opposition parties cried foul saying the attempt was nothing but to divert the attention of people from the sordid affairs of the party leaders being involved in the looting cyclone relief materials in October.
Besides inaugurating a 400-seat woman’s hostel and a convention hall in the Ravenshaw University campus, Patnaik laid the foundation-stones of seven other projects, including the proposed second bridge over the Mahanadi to be constructed at a whopping cost of Rs 120 crore. Among these proposed projects, two were hanging fire for last five years.
Since the Indian History Congress is now being held in Ravenshaw University’s convention hall, the Chief Minister “inaugurated” the half-constructed convention hall being constructed at a cost of Rs 17 crore.
Accompanied by Urban Development Minister Debi Prasad Mishra and the local MP, MlAs, corporators and Mayor, Patnaik laid the foundation-stone of the second bridge over the Mahanadi at the Biju Patnaik Park in CDA. The 2.5-km bridge would facilitate road communication between Bhubaneswar and Dhenkanal via Cuttack and Choudwar.
Similarly, foundation-stones for a water treatment plant at a cost of Rs 79 crore and double-laning of the Cuttack-Chandbali Road at a cost of Rs 153 crore were laid by the Chief Minister.
While opening a statue of Gana Kabi Baishnab Pani at Khan Nagar, Patnaik also laid the foundation-stone of a project to develop and modernise the historic Qadam-e-Rasool, a Muslim holy place in the city.
Patnaik also laid foundation-stone for setting up an arch at Devi Gada and the Saheed Park at Nuapatna in the city. Even as proposals for these two projects were cleared more than five years ago, nothing was progressing in this direction over these years.
The Chief Minister too inaugurated a renovated petrol pump of the CMC on this day.