Inter-State Highway to be cut off at Bhawanipatna

The Pioneer, July 11, 2009
PNS | Bhawanipatna

Bhawanipatna, the district headquarters town of Kalahandi district, will soon be isolated from main land despite being connected by national and State highways. The Turkel bridge, 29 km from here, will soon be a cause for worry to the commuters to Raipur, the capital of Chhattisgarh.

The last flood in the river had washed off the small culverts near the bridge. Presently, two construction firms, namely ARSS & Patel Constructions of Gujarat, the successful bidders of the 68 kilometre stretch between Bhawanipatna and Khariar, have started work on the project. Rabi Bhoi of Turkel who has seen the river in full spate echoes the feeling of thousands of commuters “The patchwork will not hold.”

When contacted Tapan Gadnaik, Executive Engineer, Roads & Building, Bhawanipatna said the world bank people who were executing the project are the best judge whether the patch work on both sides of the bridge will sustain when the river will be in full spate.

The much-hyped road is a lifeline for not only the people of the State but an important part of the Visakhapatnam in Andhra Pradesh - Raipur in Chhattisgarh stretch and many heavy vehicle ply on the road. Funded by the World Bank, this Rs 105 crore project was tendered a year back and the agreement was done on February 20, 2009 according to sources in the Executive Engineer office at Khariar. Had the contractor started work in time, they could have completed the major repairing in and around the bridge in time alleged villagers of Turkel. When contacted project staff of the executing company at the site refused to speak this scribe. What however takes the cake is the uninterrupted toll collection on this precarious road by Orissa Bridge Construction Corporation since 1982. The OBCC have collected more than Rs 30 lakh in toll but have no information whether part of the money was spent for maintenance of the bridge said Biswajit Padhi, a RTI (Right to Information) activist. “I am contemplating filling a criminal case against the authorities for cheating the people by collecting more money from vehicles than the rate stipulated in the gazette notification,” he added.