Cuttack: Resentment is now brewing among people in Cuttack over several welfare projects which are yet to be completed. Though the foundation stone for several projects were laid in the past, the construction work is yet to begin.
The proposed foot overbridge at Madhupatna square is one such glaring example of sheer neglect. The foundation stone for the project was laid by the then Rajya Sabha MP Pyarimohan Mohapatra way back in 2010. However, the construction work for the proposed project is yet to begin even after nine years.
"Even though the foundation stone for the foot overbridge was laid in 2010, the project is yet to take off. As a result, hundreds of commuters are facing problems in absence of such essential public utility," said Debashish Das, a local resident.
Similarly, the foundation stone for a public toilet at the busy junction was laid in the year 2016. However, this project too has not moved an inch since then, leaving commuters to urinate in the open.
Another resident, Ramaranjan Rana said "There is no public toilet in the area which causes problems to the local people and the passengers travelling to far-off places from Cuttack."
The pending Art Gallery project speaks volumes about the callous attitude of the authorities concerned. A public toilet has now come up at the site where the foundation stone for the art gallery project was laid by Odisha CM Naveen Patnaik in 2011.
President of Creative Art Group, Mahendra Prasad Mohapatra said "The need for an art gallery in the area was felt by Cuttack-Barabati MLA and the then mayor of the city. Everybody is dissatisfied as a public toilet stands on the land allotted for the art gallery."
On the other hand, CMC Commissioner, Sarat Chandra Nayak said "A lot of projects are conceived and foundation stones are laid. But the projects get delayed due to several land related, administrative and technical problems."