DGP inspects Gurupriya bridge work

Malkangiri: DGP Sanjiv Marik today inspected the work of Gurupriya bridge in the district construction of which started last month.

Expressing satisfaction over pace of the work the top cop said, after the bridge is constructed, benefits of government programmes will reach people.

“Happiness can be observed from the eyes of the villagers who have been remained cut-off from the main land since 1960s,” Marik said.

Nearly 30,000 tribals have been living in this cut-off area since 1964 after the construction of the Chitrakonda dam project for the Balimela Hydropower project. This cut-off area has 154 villages spread over seven panchayats.

“We hope that the company which has been awarded the tender for the bridge will complete the work in time and full co-operation is being given from the government side,” he stated.

Currently the construction is being undertaken by Kolkata-based Royal Infra Construction Ltd after Gammon India left construction work midway following its temporary camp was blown away by Maoists.

The company has started the RCC piling work of the bridge, cost of which has gone up from Rs four crore in 1982 to Rs 172.58 crore in next three years.

The 900-metre bridge connects Janbai North with Janbai South.

The construction of the bridge assumes significance given that not only will it connect the villages with the mainland but also on several occasions in past the Maoists successfully stalled the bridge work.