BHUBANESWAR: Promising a slew of infrastructure projects for Odisha after the general elections, Union Minister Road Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari on Thursday said the port city of Paradip will get an airport, which will be constructed at an estimated cost of Rs 200 crore.
Addressing an election rally ‘Vijay Setu Sankalp Samavesh’ at Krushnaprasad under Brahmagiri Assembly segment of Puri Parliamentary constituency, Gadkari said a decision has already been taken to build an airport at the port city.
The Union Minister said two signature bridges will be built over Chilika lake under Bharatmala project for which detailed project reports (DPRs) are under preparation. The work on the project will start from October, 2024.
“I am announcing today that we will construct a road from Tangi to Digha under Bharatmala Pariyojana. The coastal highway project has a missing link between Gopalpur and Satapada due to Chilika lake and the wetland. People are still using boats for their daily communication due to this missing link. Two 2-lane bridges will be constructed to connect NH 516 A and NH 316 A which will provide direct connectivity to Ganjam and Puri respectively. Order has been issued to prepare DPRs for the bridges,” he said.
“I know you have come here with some expectations from me. I have also come prepared as I know none of the governments since Independence had paid attention to your perennial communication problems. I assure you that your long-standing demand for permanent connectivity between Kruhsnaprasad and Satapada and Satapada to Gopalpur will be fulfilled. But you have to promise me that you will elect Sambit Patra ji from Puri Lok Sabha seat and Upasana Mohapatra from Brahmagiri with a massive mandate,” Gadkari said to positive acknowledgment from the crowd.
Asserting his record as the infrastructure man, Gadkari said, he has undertaken projects worth Rs 50 lakh crore in the last 10 years and fulfilled whatever promises he had made to people. “There is not a single complaint against me. This is my guarantee to you that your demand will be fulfilled after the election is over,” he said.
Highlighting major road infrastructure projects under execution and in pipeline, the union minister said projects worth Rs 3 lakh crore have been sanctioned for the state. While the 465 km Raipur-Visakhapatnam economic corridor with financial involvement of Rs 25,000 crore is nearing completion, DPR for the 450 km portion of the Mumbai-Kolkata Expressway is under preparation.
He said work on 111 km six-lane Bhubaneswar ring road at a cost of Rs 6500 crore will start in October. The road will reduce the journey by one-and-a-half hours. “What has been done so far was just a trailer, the full movie is yet to begin,” Gadkari said. Prior to visiting Krushnaparsad, Gadkari visited Shri Jagannath temple and offered prayers to the Lord. He later addressed a meeting at Pipili under Puri Lok Sabha constituency.