BHUBANESWAR: The BJP on Tuesday asked the State Government to explain scrapping of seven projects including the Sri Jagannath Bishramsthali on Bagala Dharmashala land in Puri under PRASAD scheme.
BJP national spokesperson Sambit Patra said there is no iota of truth in the State Government claim that Indian Tourism Development Corporation (ITDC) stopped the projects which have failed to take off after six years of awarding the contracts.
None of the projects could be taken up by the Central PSU in time due to indecisiveness of the Odisha Government, he said and showed official communications between the State Tourism department with the CMD of ITDC at a press conference in New Delhi.
Patra said the State Government gave a proposal worth Rs 50 crore for beautification of Sri Jagannath Temple at Puri to ITDC on March 26, 2015. The Central agency submitted its architectural plan for the projects to the State Government, which sat over it for nearly two years for reasons best known to it. The Tourism department wrote to ITDC CMD on November 27, 2017 suggesting to revise the project cost from Rs 50 crore to Rs 78 crore. The State Government gave its approval for development of a facility on the Dhramashala land to accommodate pilgrims visiting Puri at a cost of Rs 20.88 crore.
Contract of the project was awarded to a construction firm owned by one BC Bhuyan on May 7, 2019. Construction works started by the company from June 21, 2019.The company spent Rs 3.26 crore on the proposed facility but the State Government asked ITDC on November 1, 2019 to stop work.
ITDC informed the Government that the construction firm will have to be compensated for the money spent as per the tender agreement but there was no response from the latter till February 2020 despite repeated reminders from the Central agency.
ITDC received a letter from the Odisha Tourism Development Corporation (OTDC) on June 2, 2020 in which the Central agency was informed that an alternate site has been selected for the development of facility for pilgrims. Since the new site was located in a low lying area, ITDC informed OTDC about an additional expenditure of Rs 2.5-3 crore for developing the plot.
Patra said the State Government is yet to respond to the ITDC letter on the additional cost needed to develop the plot. The BJD, meanwhile, said Patra is trying to obstruct the development of the heritage city of Puri by levelling irresponsible allegations.
“He is more concerned with playing politics on issues relating to Puri and trying to derive political gains rather than supporting the good work by the State Government for the development of Puri,”spokesperson Lenin Mohanty said.
If Patra is aware of any wrong-doing, let him approach the Judiciary and let the law take its course, Mohanty added.