ROURKELA: Eying the 2023 Men’s Hockey World Cup, the Rourkela Smart City Ltd (RSCL) is planning to complete major projects with a combined worth of around Rs 800 crore by June next year if there is no threat of a third Covid wave.
The under-construction Birsa Munda Stadium, billed to be India’s largest, would be completed by March while the multi-level car parking is nearing completion. The Biju Patnaik indoor stadium has already been readied.
Similarly, development of 11 stormwater drains at a value of over Rs 95 crore is underway and would be completed by April. Renovation of the Panposh market complex at a cost of Rs 48.18 crore, construction of control and command centre, tribal museum, convention centre and auditorium worth Rs 116.76 core, smart road phase-II project with underground drainage and multi-utility pipelines for Rs 104.71 and DAV pond development with landscaping are also underway.
Beautification and streetscaping of the ring road from Hanuman Vatika to Bisra square, a road from Hockey square to Panposh square and similar beautification projects in and around Vedvyas square are in different stages of implementation. Development and facility additions of around 30 parks are also underway.
However, the Brahmani riverfront project worth around Rs 44.30 crore is lagging behind with the tender process yet to start. RSCL authorities attributed the delay to the Supreme Court guidelines restricting eviction of encroachers during the pandemic. Recently, demarcation has been carried out and the riverfront project would be taken up shortly. Similarly, development of a new recreational facility at Koelnagar for around Rs 15.33 crore may also miss its June target.
Official sources said all roads of the RSCL, Rourkela Municipal Corporation (RMC) and Public Works department would be completed in six to eight months.
RSCL chief executive officer and RMC commissioner Dibyajyoti Parida said the projects worth around Rs 900 crore have been tendered while construction of projects valued at Rs 800 crore would be completed by June next year. The deadline for the Smart City Mission is June 2023 and work on all the projects worth Rs 1,000 crore is being carried out well ahead of the schedule.