PURI: Work for developing Puri into a heritage destination has started with measuring of land required for four-laning of bypass road linking Malatipatpur bus stand with Jagannath Ballav Mutt.
Revenue officials on Saturday measured the land required for laying of the seven-km-long four-lane road from Malatipatput bus stand to Jagannath Ballav Mutt and construction of the multi-layer parking place there.
A total of 40-acre land has to be acquired to lay the connecting road to National Highway-316. While a major portion of land belongs to the state government and Sri Jagannath temple, about 10 acre needs to be acquired from private persons.
In another development, the municipal administration had issued notices to about 60 shop owners in Mahodadhi Municipal Market at Mochisahi to vacate the land by October 4. The single-storey market complex, built-in 1973, has been declared unsafe.
After its demolition, a multi-storey market complex would be constructed at the site and shops would be allotted to businessmen, Executive Officer of the civic body Bijay Kumar Das said, adding that existing shop owners would be allotted shops on priority basis.
The soil test for construction of a rail overbridge (RoB) at Matiapada level crossing along Puri -Konark NH-316 has been completed. This was a long-standing demand of the residents and after construction of the RoB, it will regulate movement of vehicular traffic in Puri-Bhubaneswar-Konark Golden Triangle.
Meanwhile, social activist Hactor Mishra, in a letter to Puri Collector Balwant Singh, said the demolition of old building of GeD near the office of the Superintendent of Police had caused severe damage to the historical place of Puri.
Mishra said the GeD building was operating in the town from pre-Independence era and with its demolition, a piece of historical evidence was lost.
The building housed the first electric power generator of this city. Way back in 1912, Puri residents experienced the lighting of first electrical bulb.
This heavy-duty kerosene-run power generator set was brought by British officers to Puri through Haldia port via Cuttack.
Mishra requested the Collector to direct the officials to preserve such important artefacts before demolition of other such historical buildings.