JAGATSINGHPUR: Even after 17 years, a bridge constructed over Gobari river to connect two villages, stands idle as a testimony to alleged negligence as it has not been connected to land mass on either sides.
Sans approach roads, the structure remains unutilised defeating the purpose of facilitating communication between two villages.
Though the bridge is ready for use, the Ganei and Lankapari villagers in Nuagaon panchayat with a population of 700 and 500 respectively are made to travel 4 kms to reach Ghodansa panchayat which connects the block headquarters of Naugaon.
The distance between the two villages, however, is a mere 500 metre.
The structure was built in 2004 after the villagers urged former MP Late Brahmananda Panda to look into the matter. Panda had sanctioned Rs 5.40 lakh from his MPLAD fund for construction of the bridge. The structure was completed on time but approach roads to get on on to the bridge were never made.
The villagers said they had apprised the BDO of Nuagaon of their plight but nothing has yet been done to mitigate their woes.
Contacted, chairman of Nuagaon panchayat samiti Jagannath Das said he will take up the matter with local MLA Prasant Muduli soon. This apart, the road from Nalikula to Kotamal in Suadkanti village in Nuagaon panchayat is lying damaged causing inconvenience to locals.
Sarpanch of Nuagaon panchayat, Amina Swain said the drainage division is responsible for repairing the road and since it has failed to do so, the local MLA Muduli was urged to allocate funds for the project. She said the legislator had recently sanctioned Rs 7 lakh from his MLALAD fund for repair of the road.