BARGARH: Delay in completion of the bridge over Jeera river connecting Bargarh town with Ambapali has become a major plank for opposition political parties ahead of the urban local body (ULB) polls.
The bridge is coming up in place of ‘Junha Pulia’, an old iron bridge which was demolished after being declared unsafe for use. Construction of the new bridge started in May 2018 with a deadline to complete it by November 2020. However, work on the project is still underway.
President of district BJP Aswini Sarangi said more than a year has passed since the deadline, not even 50 per cent of the bridge project has been completed. “The bridge is being delayed because the BJD government has involved its own associates to execute the project instead of engaging a genuine contractor for construction work, leading to corruption,” he alleged.
Apart from residents of Ambapali, people of nearby Bijepur and Barpali blocks are also facing inconvenience in absence of a bridge over Jeera river. “We had staged several protests and even gheraoed the PWD office over the delay but to no avail. Though the local MLA had assured to complete the bridge by March this year, the project is still lingering,” Sarangi added.
Congress president of Bargarh Nihar Mahanand alleged that misappropriation of fund by the BJD has led to the delay. “A hefty sum was sanctioned for the bridge but the contractor engaged by the ruling party misused the funds due to which the project could not be completed on time,” he claimed.
Chandrabhanu Pradhan, an old-timer from Bargarh, said the delay in completion of the bridge has led to a number of problems for residents. “The space beneath the under-construction bridge has become a den for anti-social elements. Recently, illegal sand mining has also started here,” he said.
Pradhan further said non-completion of the project also caused various problems during Dhanu Yatra festival when Bargarh town transforms into ‘Mathura Nagari’, Jeera river becomes Yamuna and Ambapali village turns into ‘Gopapura’.
Bargarh MLA Debesh Acharya, however, said the bridge could not be completed due to technical glitches. The issues have already been discussed with the engineer concerned and an additional fund of Rs 8 crore allotted for remaining construction work. The project will be completed within next six months.
“We will keep our promise made to the public. People are aware of our work towards development of the town which includes renovation of colleges, beautification drives and augmentation of sports infrastructure. They will definitely support BJD in the ULB polls,” the MLA claimed.