Cuttack: SCB hospital overhaul to start in September, 41 buildings to be razed for project

BHUBANESWAR: The construction work of the ambitious SCB Medical College and Hospital redevelopment project in Cuttack is likely to begin in September.
The progress of the redevelopment project, which has been taken up under the 5T initiative, was recently reviewed at a meeting chaired by state works secretary Krishan Kumar. Site issues like re-routing of electric lines, shifting of overhead tanks, demolition of vacated buildings and tree cutting and transplantation were discussed in the meeting.
Sources said as many as 41 buildings, mostly abandoned government quarters, will be demolished for the project. Among others, approval of the master plan by the Cuttack Development Authority, approval of the terms of reference of the environment impact assessment by the Odisha State Pollution Control Board were discussed in the meeting.
Similarly, issues like acquisition and demolition of buildings adjoining the ring road, land acquisition and construction of the left and right outer access roads and the identification and acquisition of land for a public-private-partnership (PPP) project were also discussed in the meeting. It was virtually attended by the revenue divisional commissioner (central division) Anil Samal and district collector (Cuttack) BS Chayani. The Odisha Bridge and Construction Corporatio, under the state works department, is the implementing agency of the redevelopment project.
Since a target has been set for the completion of the first phase of the redevelopment of the premier healthcare centre by January 2024, timelines have been set to resolve the site issues. “We are confident of initiating the construction work by September and of completing the project within the schedule,” a senior works department official said. The official added that the land acquisition process for the project has already been completed.