Kalinganagar corridor work to resume after field report

The Orissa government will take a final decision on resuming the work on the Rs 16.5 crore Common Utility Corridor (CUC) being constructed by the Jajpur Cluster Development Ltd (JCDL) in the Kalinganagar area after receiving a report on the law and order situation there from the district administration of Jajpur,

The police resorted to blank firing yesterday to disperse the villagers opposing construction of the corridor. Six villagers received minor injuries in the incident.

The work on this 7.5 km standard road which connects the old Military Road in Kalinganagar to Duburi has been partially completed. The work had started long ago and about Rs 6 crore has already been spent on the project.

JCDL, which is a Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV) formed by the state owned Industrial Infrastructure Development Corporation (Idco) and KalingaNagar Industries Association (KNIA), is facing pressure from the industries to complete this important road which is the main link for all industries coming up in Kalinganagar area.

The Union government has also asked JCDL to utilise the remaining funds sanctioned under the Industrial Infrastructure Upgration Scheme (IIUS), failing which it would be withdrawn. Interestingly, all the projects sanctioned under this scheme have been completed except this corridor due to the opposition of the villagers.

When contacted, industry secretary Saurabh Garg said, the government is keen to start the work there. The government will try to resolve the genuine grievances of the villagers. Since the district officials are in talks with the villagers, the government would take a final decision only after receiving the report from the district administration, he added.