The Hindu : Other States / Orissa News : Police oppose construction of high-rises in Sahid Nagar

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Tuesday, Apr 08, 2008
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Police oppose construction of high-rises in Sahid Nagar

Staff Reporter

Number of vehicles will be doubled if the project comes up

Project to house 180 shopping complexes
Agreement reached between State and
Kolkata-based firm in 1995

BHUBANESWAR: Rarely does it happen when one government department goes public opposing another department’s project.

But newly constituted Police Commissionerate for Bhubaneswar-Cuttack “called for public protest” to a residential-cum-shopping complex being developed at Sahid Nagar here. Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation (BMC) has a 30 per cent stake in the project. Apprehending that if the project comes up the traffic situation could really worsen, police commissionerate here on Sunday presented senior citizens a detail graphic description of possible traffic chaos to be faced along the Janpath road.

Addressing the gathering Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP) for traffic Nirmal Satpathy said the project would house 180 shopping units, 282 residential quarters and two multiplexes.

“The entry and exit routes are not wide enough to support huge flow of vehicles. We did a measurement of the area. The outcome is surprising. Even if we go for eviction, the approach road could not be widened more than 22 feet,” Mr. Satpathy said. The number of vehicles would get doubled once the project, which was targeted to be completed within next 18 months, came up in that area, ACP said. It would be more frightening during the hour when spectators would come out from two cinema halls, he said saying it would be traffic nightmare for everybody. Commissioner of Police Binoy Behera said, “if the situation cannot be tackled now, people will surely blame police at later stage.” When asked, the BMC Commissioner Aparajita Sarangi said the partnership agreement between corporation and Kolkata-based Bhawani Construction had been reached in 1995. The road and park space around the project would be taken care by Bhubaneswar Development Authority (BDA).

Top BDA officials, however, were not available for their comments. Police administration had already expressed dissatisfaction over lack of follow-up action on the proposed parking lots along three important routes. This opposition is another pre-emptive action by the city police.

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