Works for heritage corridor projects in Puri, Bhubaneswar to resume after 2 months

Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik on Wednesday directed officials to resume work for heritage corridors around the Jagannath temple in Puri and Lingaraj temple in Bhubaneswar from Friday.

The direction came during a review meeting the chief minister held through video conference with top officials to take stock of the progress made so far in the implementation of these two projects.

Describing the heritage corridor projects for the seaside pilgrim town of Puri and the temple city of Bhubaneswar as significant, Patnaik noted that the work on the projects remained suspended for around two months because of the nationwide lockdown triggered by the COVID-19 pandemic, said an official statement.

"We''ve had a more than two months break in view of the coronavirus outbreak. We must ease restrictions now and try and begin developmental works in Puri and Bhubaneswar by day after tomorrow, Patnaik said.

Emphasising on the need to strictly adhere to social distancing guidelines during the work, Patnaik said all precautionary measures must be taken to curb the spread of coronavirus infection.

The state government had launched the projects for beautification of the shrines and their surroundings in order to attract more footfall. Unauthorised structures around the temples have also been demolished to pave way for smooth implementation of the projects.

The meeting was informed that a major portion of land for several structures, including a pilgrim centre, market complex and a bridge in Puri, has already been acquired. The land acquisition process for the whole project is likely to be completed in two-three months, an official said.

Similarly, designs for the Shree Jagannath heritage corridor, Grand Road development, renovation of Shree Jagannath Temple Administration office building and Jagannath Culture Centre are being readied, he said.

Preparations have also been stepped up to give momentum to different works for the development around Lord Lingaraj temple in Bhubaneswar. While areas surrounding the shrine will be beautified, several ponds near the temple including the historic Bindu Sagar will be given a new look, he said.

The meeting was informed that the state government will sign an agreement with the Indian Chemical Institute, Mumbai soon for improving the water quality of the water bodies, the official said.

Apart from Chief Secretary A K Tripathy, other senior officials also attended the review meeting.

The Odisha government has earmarked Rs 3,208 crore under the Augmentation of Basic Amenities and Development of Heritage and Architecture (ABADHA) scheme in three years to transform Puri into a world heritage city. The chief minister had flagged off several projects under the scheme.

A number of projects have been approved under the ABADHA scheme, including development of the heritage security zone, Shree Setu project, Musa river revival plan, Jagannath Ballav pilgrim centre, housing projects, Puri lake development project, upgradation of Raghunandan Library, Acharya Harihar square re-development project, Atharnala heritage project, Matha Development Initiative and development of heritage ponds and lakes.