Amid claims and counter claims by political parties, seeking credit, for constructing the Gurupriya bridge, connecting a cut-off area in Malkangiri district to the mainland, Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik today received unprecedented recognition on the social media from across the country.
Immediately after inaugurating the 910-metre-long Gurupriya bridge constructed at a cost of Rs 187 crore, Patnaik had tweeted at least three times to inform the nation about the project.
"#GurupriyaSetu signifies a resurgent #Odisha, will transform lives in 151 villages that were cut-off for 5 decades. It is not just a bridge, it will be the identity & Swabhiman of #Malkangiri. I dedicate this special project to people of #Odisha & India #JaiJagannath," Patnaik tweeted.
"Unprecedented national recognition for CM Naveen Patnaik on dedicating Gurupriya Setu to Odisha. With over 11,000 tweets nationwide, both Gurupriya Setu and Malkangiri have become trending topics on Twitter and are dominating news in the digital space," a statement issued by the chief minister's office (CMO) said.
"India has taken note of the incredible achievement that is Gurupriya and appreciated efforts of the Odisha government that literally moved mountains to construct the bridge after overcoming odds and obstacles.," the CMO statement added.
The Odisha chief minister while speaking to the media after inaugurating the bridge today said, "Gurupriya Bridge is a bridge of progress and will be the identity of Malkangiri."
Patnaik also said that the Gurupriya Bridge is the pride of the nation which symbolises peace, cooperation and progress.
However, the opposition Congress and the BJP were not ready to give the credit to Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik though the state government completed the Gurupriya bridge project in record four years time despite several odds, including Maoist threats.
"Today the dream of Sri Janaki Ballav Patnaik is realised who envisaged the idea of the Gurupriya bridge project. Congress has always and will continue to work towards connecting people." the Odisha Pradesh Congress Committee (OPCC) president, Niranjan Patnaik, said.
In 1986, J B Patnaik, the then chief minister of Odisha, had laid the foundation stone at Janbai in Malkangiri district for construction of the bridge.
However, the work could not be taken up due to different reasons including threat from Maoist elements, Niranjan pointed out.
The BJP state spokesman Golak Mohapatra, however, said that the credit for the Gurupriya bridge should go to the BSF jawans who stood solid against the Maoists and facilitated the construction of the bridge.
"The credit goes to the people of Odisha and the residents of the cut-off area," BJD leader Amar Prasad Satpathy said.
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