Highway project a mirage as officials keep passing on the buck

JAGATSINGHPUR: The NH-55 linking project from OMP Square in Cuttack to Nuagaon village through Kandarpur has been hanging fire for the last seven years reportedly due to slipshod approach of the authorities concerned.In 2015, the Union Ministry of Road Transport and Highways had declared Cuttack-Jagatsinghpur-Balikuda-Nuagaon State Highway as NH 55. Since no progress was made even after five years and locals started raising voice, the Ministry in 2020 issued a notification to start the land acquisition process under Section 3A of the National Highway Act, 1956. 

As per reports, the project mandates acquisition of total 957.149 acre land including 113.359 acre government land and 843.790 acre private land by the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI). However, seven years on, the acquisition process is unable to take off as the Works department is yet to start valuation and estimate cost of the proposed land. As of now, the project work near the proposed Sajjan Jindal-led JSW steel plant site under Erasama tehsil, is limited to erection of a signboard and review meetings.  Last year, the administration had directed line departments to submit their estimates to shift or relocate their infrastructure and poles from the proposed NH areas but that too is due. 

Sources said, this is not the only project but the status of many other railway and irrigation projects, revenue related matters and drinking water continue to remain non-starters.On Monday, additional chief secretary (ACS) of revenue and disaster management Satyabrat Sahu conducted a revenue meeting and directed Collector Parul Patwari, all tehsildars and revenue officials to expedite land acquisition process of the NH, Paradip - Chandikhole economic corridor and other projects, all of which have been stalled due to delay in land acquisition process.

A senior revenue official said it is the duty of district sub-registrar( DSR) to send the valuation of these lands to different tehsildars. Due to lack of coordination between DSR and tehsildars, valuation of land has not yet been finalised.