ROURKELA: The completion of NH-143 and NH-520 through key regions of Sundargarh district may push way beyond June, the scheduled deadline. It has been 11 years since work first began on the two NHs but the end is mired in problems.
According to National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) sources, the 88-km stretch of NH-143 from Birmitrapur to Rajamunda including second Brahmani bridge at Rourkela under two packages would be completed by the deadline.
However, there is uncertainty over the remaining 37 km from Rajamunda to Barkote as the contract firm, Gayatri Project Ltd, is reportedly facing financial issues. As per reports, the company had bagged the tender for the Rajamunda-Barkote stretch for about `480 crore and NHAI has given time to settle the money matters failing which it would terminate the contract agreement and float a fresh tender.
On the other hand, project for rehabilitation and upgradation of 53.25 km-stretch of NH-520 from Koida to Rajamunda in Sundargarh is underway by a joint venture company KMC-RKD for about `1,176.41 crore.
Incidentally, its revised completion target was June 2022 as well. But NHAI authorities claim that while major portion of works would be completed on time, the other three portions of NH 520 including Chuna Ghati, Gopna and another site will require more time for major construction works.
Both NH-520 and NH-143 were included under the National Highway Development Project III and IV during 2005 and 2006, respectively. Works for both the highways had started around mid-2011 only to be abandoned by the respective contract firms a few years later.
After fresh tenders, both projects had started during 2018 with completion target of June 2020 which was then revised to June 2022. Expressing concern, social activist and former general secretary of Steel Executives’ Federation of India (SEFI) Bimal Bisi said, “NHAI authorities informed that it would take another seven months to one year for completion of the two highways. Both projects are running way behind schedule.”
Recently, Bisi wrote to Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw to instruct South Eastern Railway to effectively coordinate with NHAI for construction of three major bridges at Panposh, Champajharan and Chandiposh falling on the alignment of NH-143.