ROURKELA: Ahead of the Men’s Hockey World Cup 2023, top officials of Odisha government inspected the progress of India’s largest and world-class hockey stadium and other ongoing projects at Rourkela on Wednesday.
The team comprising Chief Secretary Suresh Chandra Mohapatra, 5T Secretary VK Pandian, Special Secretary to Chief Minister and Secretary, Sports and Youth, R Vineel Krishna and National Health Mission Director Shalini Pandit visited the Birsa Munda Hockey Stadium site which is scheduled to co-host the showpiece event. They also inspected the affordable housing project at Chhend Colony, science park and planetarium, Biju Patnaik Indoor and Birsa Munda multi-purpose stadiums.
The team held a review meeting with officials of Rourkela Steel Plant (RSP) and took stock of the progress of Rourkela airport’s expansion for starting flight services.
The senior officials also reviewed the status of development projects taken up by Rourkela Smart City Ltd and municipal corporation. Mohapatra said all development projects would be completed before the world cup.
The district administration’s preparedness to face the threat of third Covid wave was also reviewed. The Chief Secretary said Sundargarh is well-prepared for a possible third wave. Sundargarh Collector Nikhil Pawan Kalyan, Rourkela ADM and RMC Commissioner Dibyajyoti Parida were present.
Meanwhile, the BJP and Congress held separate protests on the day to draw attention of the visiting officials towards the alleged land scam of IDCO. Before arrival of the team, as many as 40 workers of BJP including Panposh organisation president Latika Patnaik and senior leaders Nihar Ray and Dhiren Senapati were taken into preventive custody from near the Birsa Munda Stadium. They had gathered there to apprise the team about IDCO’s land scam.
Members of Rourkela district Congress committee staged demonstration in front of the ADM office. They submitted a memorandum to the Chief Secretary through the ADM demanding immediate cancellation of the IDCO land deal and a high level inquiry into the matter.