BHUBANESWAR: Sambalpur MP and former Union minister Dharmendra Pradhan on Wednesday held a series of meetings with two senior ministers to review the progress of major road, railway and mining-related projects in Sambalpur, Angul, Dhenkanal and Deogarh districts.
At a meeting with state Works minister Prithiviraj Harichandan and Panchayati Raj and Rural Development minister Rabi Narayan Naik in the presence of Sambalpur MLA Jayanarayan Mishra and MLAs from Angul, Athmallik, Pallahara, Chhendipada and Parjang, Pradhan reviewed ongoing national highway and state road projects.
He stressed the need to expedite the Angul-Chhendipada road, Jarapada-Chhendipada bypass and Patrapada-Handapa road. He also called for a plan to minimise inconvenience to local residents during construction.
Projects in Sambalpur that came up for discussion included the Sambalpur Ring Road, Burla bypass, Hirakud bypass, Remeda-Hirakud road, a bridge connecting Burla and Hirakud, the Shaheed Chowk-Khandual Mahanadi embankment ring road and expansion of the Sambalpur-Jharsuguda road.
Pradhan also held a separate meeting with the MLAs of Angul and Dhenkanal districts and discussed strengthening of railway infrastructure, construction of new railway lines and development of transportation system in the districts including Sambalpur and Deogarh.
He attended the meeting of the independent committee of Mahanadi Coalfields Limited (MCL), Angul district, along with the MLAs regarding the problems faced by displaced people in the mining areas, local employment, environmental protection and use of CSR funds in the affected districts.
Pradhan said that special discussions were held particularly on the functionality and progress of the inner and outer corridors of Talcher coalfields, the much-anticipated new Talcher-Bimalagarh railway line, the new Barkot-Lopanga railway line and Talcher-Sukinda Road railway line project, as well as the railway traffic that will operate in the coming days. The meeting discussed evelopment of roads, drinking water supply, healthcare and educational infrastructure in mining-affected areas through CSR initiatives. Measures to control dust and pollution, plantation and faster recruitment of local people were also discussed, Pradhan said.