Rajendra Prasad Mohapatra

Hundreds of trees, planted in the early years of the Capital city, have been chopped down to make way for multi-storey buildings for MLAs of Odisha.

Many valuable trees from Rabindra Mandap to Police Commissionerate office were felled for the construction work which is currently underway.

Meanwhile, the denizens of Bhubaneswar have expressed their resentment over the development.

“The government colonies in the area have many old and valuable trees like Debdaru, banyan, peepal, jamun, mango and jackfruit. During the early years of the capital city, the forest department had planted many fruit trees. Due to the thick green cover, this area feels cool even in the scorching summer,” said an octogenarian residing in the area.

“The government should plan the new buildings for the legislators keeping the greenery intact,” he said.

It is expected that the multi-storey building of MLAs with around 300 quarters will come up by end of 2024. A total of Rs 275 crore will be spent on the project and provision for allocation has already been made in the budget. 

Reportedly, the Chief engineer of Odisha Bridge and Construction Corporation (OBCC) has been paid an amount of Rs 50 crore for the project in the first phase. The remaining Rs 225 crore will be provided by the Finance Department. 
 

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