Cuttack: The wait for modern parks and boating facilities at Gadakhai continues to get longer. Due to lack of coordination between Cuttack Municipal Corporation (CMC) and Archaeological Survey of India (ASI), the restoration of Gadakhai moat under the Integrated Barabati Fort Area development project, is yet to be completed.
It is pertinent to mention here that the Union Government had sanctioned Rs 17.34 crore for the project which aims at developing the fort area into a major tourist attraction. Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik on August 31, 2010 had laid the foundation stone with a deadline of March 31, 2012.
Official sources said the Archaeological Survey of India was assigned with the job to renovate and restore the wall of the 2.5-km-long moat surrounding the Barabati Fort. The ASI officials had started the moat wall restoration work in May 2015.
“Several projects were planned in the past to convert Gadakhai into a popular tourist destination. But due to lack of coordination between concerned departments, the project is yet to see the light of the day,” said Satya Ray, a local resident.
CMC Commissioner, Sarat Chandra Nayak, on the other hand, informed that the work is being executed by ASI and it will soon be reviewed.
“ASI is undertaking the work of restoration of the missing portion of the Gadakhai moat wall. CMC had released funds in two instalments and accordingly ASI had completed the work on the western side,” said ASI Superintendent, Arun Mallick.
Mallick further informed that a letter has already been sent to CMC to release funds so that the remaining work can be taken up.