It was JB’s dream project: PCC chief

After inauguration of the Gurupriya bridge on Thursday, political parties indulged in a war of words over who should get the credit for its construction.

Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik, who inaugurated the bridge, stated it set a record as the project was completed in four years despite many hurdles.

Pradesh Congress Committee president Niranjan Patnaik said the bridge was one of the dreams of former Congress Chief Minister Late JB Patnaik.

“The ground work for the bridge was done during JB Patnaik’s tenure. Tender was invited and work order was awarded. However due to Maoist menace, the work could not begin,” said the OPCC chief.

He questioned why the BJD Government is also not taking credit for increasing debts, corruption, unemployment and rise in incidents of violence against women if it is boasting about the Gurupriya bridge.

In his reaction, BJP spokesperson Golak Mohapatra said, “Who stopped those who have been claiming it as their dream project from realising the dream? For 10 years, the UPA was in power at the Centre.”

Mohapatra further said the NDA Government at the Centre played a significant role starting from allocating grants to providing security personnel; everything was taken care of by the Centre.

The utmost credit goes to the BSF jawans who kept a tight vigil so that bridge work could be carried out, he said.

On the other hand, BJD Assembly Chief Whip Amar Prasad Satpathy said that despite all kinds of hurdles, the bridge work was completed during the reign of Naveen Patnaik. “Now, it is up to the people of the State to decide who should get the credit for it,” Satpathy said.