JAGATSINGHPUR: Residents of eight panchayats of Balikuda block vowed to boycott the General Elections of 2024 if steps are not taken by authorities concerned to revert the route of the Gopalpur-Digha Coastal Highway on Monday.
The villagers also warned of not cooperating with government officials in execution of any project in the area. Over 5,000 villagers united under Upakul Rajpath Kriyanusthan Committee (URKC) participated in a ‘Jan Jagrana Mahasamabesh’ at Dasbatia village in Balikuda block on the day. Led by retired chief engineer of Irrigation department, Chandeswar Behera, the villagers said the change in the route of the highway by the Central government will hamper development of the region.
In view of environmental protection in the Coastal Highway Project conceptualised in 2015, an Expert Appraisal Committee (EAC) was formed by the Union Ministry of Environment that stalled construction of the highway from Badapokharia to Digha and proposed to construct the coastal highway from Chilika Balukhand sanctuary and interior regions citing effect on environment and wildlife.
Thereafter, the Ministry asked the NHAI to prepare a new alternative road design and apply for environmental clearance. Accordingly a revised map was prepared for the route excluding Chilika Balukhand sanctuaries.
The map alignment was shifted to about 25 km away from the coastline leading to discontentment among locals who said it will not benefit them. The villagers under URKC strongly protested the new route and demanded implementation of the earlier alignment.
Sarpanch and panchayat samiti members of Balikuda block led by chairperson Prakash Chandra Pradhan staged a stir and submitted a memorandum to collector Parul Patwari demanding implementation of earlier alignment.