Housing department asked to remove illegally parked vehicles along NH-16

BHUBANESWAR: To make communication between Bhubaneswar and Cuttack hassle-free, the transport department has asked the housing and urban development department to remove illegally parked vehicles and encroachment along NH-16 immediately.
“Illegal parking and encroachment along the stretch that falls under Bhubaneswar and Cuttack municipal corporations’ jurisdiction is a matter of grave concern. We have identified the areas on the highway which need to be cleared of illegally parked vehicles and encroachments,” transport department’s secretary Usha Padhi stated in a letter to housing and urban development department’s secretary G Mathivathanan.
Padhi asked the urban development department to issue proper instructions to the Bhubaneswar and Cuttack Municipal Corporations and take steps for removing the vehicles and encroachments along the highway stretch. The transport department has suggested that the municipal corporations of both the cities coordinate with the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) and the Shree Jagannath Express Private Limited, the special purpose vehicle formed for development of the highway, for removing the vehicles and encroachments.
The 26-km-long highway stretch between Bhubaneswar and Cuttack has several major and minor commercial establishments and housing projects, making it one of the busiest stretches of Odisha. Apart from heavy vehicles, cars and two-wheelers ply the stretch frequently, while pedestrian movement is also a common sight.