CM Patnaik inaugurates, lays foundation of projects worth Rs 541 cr

Amid protests by opposition workers, Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik on Saturday inaugurated and laid the foundation of projects worth Rs 541 crore.

He inaugurated nine projects worth Rs 341 crore and laid foundation of four other projects with an estimated cost of Rs 200 crore.

The nine inaugurated projects include Rs 90-crore Netaji Bus Terminal built on 15 acres of land at Khannagar area of Cuttack on the banks of Kathajodi River.

He had laid the foundation of the bus terminal on the occasion of the the 125th birth anniversary of Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose on January 23, 2021.

Cuttack-Barabati MLA Mohammad Moquim, who was expelled from Congress, boycotted the event alleging that locals were ignored in the construction and operation of the project, while BJP activists staged a protest, demanding the rehabilitation of vendors displaced by the project.

Patnaik, who attended the function amid tight security, said the terminal, which was named after Netaji who was born in Cuttack, has modern facilities including bus bays and designated parking space for hassle-free movement of passengers.

He said 190 buses can be parked at the terminal at one time. It has a three-storey main building with elevated concourse, large waiting halls, executive lounges, space for business meetings and three dedicated elevators for passengers.

The terminal also has a provision for two separate air-conditioned dormitories for men and women passengers. As many as 120 passengers can be accommodated in the dormitories. It also has a state-of-art 'Aahaar' cheap meal centre, where 1,000 people can dine at a time.

Patnaik also inaugurated the Mahanadi campus of Ravenshaw University at Rs 66.5 crore, National Law University Library at Rs 30 crore, 550 EWS and 320 LIG houses at Naranpur for Rs 88.31 crore, Taladanda canal bridge for Rs 23.35 crore, among other projects.

He also laid the foundation for four other projects, including health centre and other infrastructure at NLU campus for Rs 123 crore and Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose memorial at Rs 22.39 crore.