CUTTACK: The assurance of Housing and Urban Development Minister Pratap Jena to beautify Badambadi locality seems to have fallen apart with the executing authorities missing the deadline yet again.
Jena, who had visited his native city and reviewed the condition of roads and drainage system on June 7 at Bikash Bhawan had directed all line departmental officials, including Cuttack Municipal Corporation (CMC) to beautify Badambadi area before last year’s Durga Puja festival.
The Minister had directed officials to remove all encroachments, clear illegal parking on the road from Madhupatna to Badambadi and carry out necessary repair work immediately.
Emphasising on beautification of Badamabadi area before Durga Puja, Jena had also instructed the officials to chalk out micro plan to avoid water-logging on the main road in front of the bus stand and keep its entry and exit points clear and clean.
After the lapse of deadline, the CMC authorities clarified that they could not go for beautification work due to ongoing Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA)-funded Integrated Sanitation Improvement Project carried out by OWSSB in the locality. They, however, informed that they had taken a review with OWSSB authorities who assured to complete the work and handover the area by December 2019 for carrying out the beautification work.
But, with the agency delaying completion of work, no step has yet been taken towards beautification of the locality. Waterlogging can be seen on any day on the main road connecting the bus stand.
Apart from illegal parking of a large number of buses along both sides of the road stretching from Madhupatana to Badambadi during the idle hours, unhygienic surroundings, stench emanating not only from bus stand urinals but also from different points on both the sides of the road add woes to residents and commuters as well.
Admitting delay due to due several causes, OWSSB Project Director Basant Kumar Parida said it would require another 10 days to complete the work.