With the Chandan Yatra of Lord Jagannath and His siblings around the corner, the servitors of the Srimandir in Puri on Thursday expressed concerns over the unfinished road construction outside the Parikrama Prakalpa (heritage corridor project).
While the paver blocks on the road have come off at places just 100 days after the inauguration of the project, potholes and piles of construction materials like bricks and stone chips dumped on it have added to the woes of pedestrians.
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The servitors are displeased over the deplorable condition of the stretch from Gandua Chaunra Square to Kakudikhai Square. The servitors use this stretch to take the palanquins of the deities to Narendra Puskarini. The servitors alleged that the construction work of the road from Gandua Chaunra Square to Kakudikhai Square has been left mid-way, making it difficult to walk on it.
The senior servitors urged the Chief Minister and VK Pandian to walk on it barefoot to understand the pedestrians ‘plight.
“The city was beautiful earlier. Now after the project, there are piles of garbage and construction materials on the road. It seems the project was a means to loot and nothing else,” rued Biranchi Narayan Mishra, a priest.
“Chandan Yatra will start on May 10. The debris lying on the road will definitely cause problems. So I would like to request the government to think about it and take steps well before the festival,” said Sambhunath Khuntia, a servitor.