PURI: Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik was greeted with black flag demonstration during his inauguration spree of Nabakalebar projects here on Saturday.
The Chief Minister inaugurated 14 projects within two hours even though major works including roads, drainage and sewerage systems in the town remained incomplete.
Congress workers showed black flags and shouted slogans when the Chief Minister alighted from his vehicle on the Grand Road. The demonstrators were, however, rounded up by the police before they could get anywhere close to the Chief Minister. As many as 26 Congress activists were held after they staged demonstration and released later.
Criticising the inauguration spree undertaken by the Chief Minister, opposition Congress and BJP leaders alleged that many Nabakalebar works including roads, over bridges, medical and drinking water facilities were still incomplete.
More than 20 platoons of police force were deployed for the Chief Minister’s visit while senior police officers were seen supervising the arrangements.
Activists of the Sachetan Nagarika Manch and Jagannath Sena led by Priyadarshan Pattnaik opposed the Chief Minister’s visit in a unique manner by sprinkling Ganga Jal (holy water of the Ganges) and lime water after inauguration of the projects.
Among the new projects inaugurated by the Chief Minister was a modern bus terminal at Malatipatpur on the outskirts of Puri town which has been constructed at a cost of Rs 73.5 crore.
Besides passenger waiting rooms, the bus terminal has dormitory, cafeteria, ticket reservation counter, CCTVs and a police outpost.
The Chief Minister also inaugurated a seven-km bypass road connecting Malatiparpur and Puri-Konark road, a new over bridge and a bridge at Atharanala. He opened a special building for mothers and infants at the district headquarters hospital here.
A new fire station building, a new administrative building of ITI at Talabania, an integrated control room to keep watch on movement of people in the town and a new CCTV control room were also inaugurated.
Three power grid stations were inaugurated at Baliapanda by Naveen who also laid the foundation stones of a new Sevayat Welfare Housing Project and a government medical college and hospital at Baliguali.
Several ministers, Pradip Maharathy, Ramesh Chandra Majhi, Arun Sahu, Atanu Sabyasachi Nayak and Sanjay Dasburma and chairman of the Nabakalebar infrastructure monitoring committee Maheswar Mohanty accompanied the Chief Minister.