May 27th 2025.
During a press conference in Bhubaneswar, BJD vice-president and former minister Sanjay Das Burma expressed his disappointment with the BJP-led NDA government at the Centre. He accused them of betraying the people by not executing the ambitious Coastal Highway project, despite boasting of a "double engine sarkar".
Das Burma highlighted the recent cancellation of the tender for a patch of road work under the project by the National Highway Authority of India, which has put the future of the project in uncertainty. He called on the state government to take up the matter with the Centre and ensure the project is carried out.
The BJD leader also pointed out that the foundation stone for the coastal highway project, which falls under the Sagarmala project, was laid back in 2015 by Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari. However, the repeated cancellation of tenders and changes in the detailed project report for the coastal highway in Odisha has caused concerns and raised questions about the commitment of the "double-engine BJP governments" at the Centre and in Odisha.
Das Burma also questioned the decision to make the coastal highway a two-lane road instead of the originally planned four-lane road. He stated that this change in plan was not acceptable and goes against what was promised in the beginning.
The manager of NHAI-Odisha circle cited administrative reasons for the cancellation of the tender, but the BJD leader believes there is more to it. He reiterated that the project was initially supposed to be a four-lane highway, but now it has been reported that it will be a two-lane road, which is completely unacceptable.
The coastal highway project, which was planned to connect Gopalpur in Odisha's Ganjam district to Digha in West Bengal, was supposed to be an alternative and parallel carriageway to the existing NH-16. However, the project has faced numerous setbacks and delays, causing uncertainty for its future.
The BJD's allegations were not immediately addressed by BJP leaders. It remains to be seen what steps will be taken by the state government and the Centre to address these concerns and ensure the execution of the much-awaited Coastal Highway project.
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