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Hans India
28-05-2025
- Politics
- Hans India
BJD flays BJP for neglecting coastal highway project
Bhubaneswar: The Opposition BJD on Tuesday criticised the BJP-led NDA government at the Centre and alleged that non-execution of the ambitious coastal highway project is a 'betrayal' by the 'double engine sarkar'. The BJD vice-president and former minister Sanjay Das Burma said this at a press conference here following the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) recently cancelling the tender for a patch of road work under the project. 'Non-execution of the coastal highway for a decade and the recent cancellation of the tender has pushed the future of this project to uncertainty and we demand the State government to take up the matter with the Centre,' Das Burma told reporters. Stating that the foundation stone of the coastal highway project under the Sagarmala project was laid way back in 2015 by Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari, the BJD leader said the annulment of tender of the proposed coastal highway was nothing but a 'betrayal' by the double-engine BJP governments at the Centre and in Odisha. Das Burma claimed that the detailed project report (DPR) for the coastal highway in Odisha had been changed thrice and repeated cancellation of tender makes the future of the project 'uncertain'. The BJD leader also raised questions on the move to make the coastal highway road two-lane instead of the original plan to construct four-lane road. The tender annulment notice issued by the Manager (tech) of NHAI-Odisha circle attributed the cancellation to administrative reasons. 'From the beginning, it was said the highway, to be built under this project, would be four-lane and tenders were also called accordingly. However, after the re-evaluation of the project, it has been reported that it will be made two-lane, which is completely unacceptable,' the BJD leader said. The 346 km coastal highway was planned as an alternative and parallel carriageway to the existing NH-16. The project was prepared to connect from Gopalpur in Odisha's Ganjam district to Digha in West Bengal. The BJP leaders were not immediately available for comment on the BJD's allegations.
Time of India
27-05-2025
- Business
- Time of India
BJD questions coastal highway tender cancellation, BJP hits back
1 2 3 Bhubaneswar: BJD on Tuesday criticised the decision of National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) to cancel the tender for the coastal highway project in Odisha. The opposition party said the cancellation of the tender in such a manner has cast a shadow over the ambitious infrastructure initiative, which has seen no progress despite a decade passing since it was announced in 2015. BJD vice-president and former minister Sanjay Das Burma told a press conference on Tuesday that the decision was a "double betrayal" of the BJP 's promised double-engine growth in the state. The project, part of the Centre's Bharatmala Pariyojana , was originally planned as a 413-km long coastal highway, later reduced to 346 km. "Union minister Nitin Gadkari announced the project in Pipili as a national highway," Das Burma ssaid. He highlighted that while a tender was floated for a 176-km four-lane road from Rameshwar to Ratanpur, the detailed project report (DPR) for the remaining 170-km stretch remains pending. The coastal highway was expected to significantly boost the state's infrastructure, transportation and tourism sectors. Das Burma emphasised its particular importance for Odisha, a cyclone-prone state, where the highway could have facilitated disaster response efforts. BJP defended the tender cancellation, claiming that some technical changes needed to be incorporated in the DPR to ensure timely completion. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like American Investor Warren Buffett Recommends: 5 Books For Turning Your Life Around Blinkist: Warren Buffett's Reading List Undo It said the NHAI will rework the tender to make the project more viable for smooth execution. "The previous govt's failure to provide required land caused the project's delay," said BJP MLA Manoranjan Dyan Samantara, asserting that the BJP govt is committed to actual development rather than empty promises. He said the Centre is in no way going to back out from the project. "The coastal highway project will definitely see the light of day. There are some changes that need to be done, and the authorities are working on it," Samantara said.
The Print
27-05-2025
- Politics
- The Print
BJD criticises BJP for non-execution of Coastal Highway project
'Non-execution of the coastal highway for a decade and the recent cancellation of the tender, has pushed the future of this project to uncertainty and we demand the state government to take up the matter with the Centre,' Das Burma told reporters. BJD vice-president and former minister Sanjay Das Burma said this at a press conference here following the National Highway Authority of India (NHAI) recently cancelling the tender for a patch of road work under the project. Bhubaneswar, May 27 (PTI) Opposition BJD on Tuesday criticised the BJP-led NDA government at the Centre and alleged that non-execution of the ambitious Coastal Highway project is a 'betrayal' by the 'double engine sarkar'. Stating that the foundation stone of the coastal highway project under the Sagarmala project was laid way back in 2015 by Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari, the BJD leader said the annulment of tender of the proposed coastal highway was nothing but a 'betrayal' by the double-engine BJP governments at the Centre and in Odisha. Das Burma claimed that the detailed project report (DPR) for the coastal highway in Odisha had been changed thrice and repeated cancellation of tender makes the future of the project 'uncertain'. The BJD leader also raised questions on the move to make the coastal highway road two-lane instead of the original plan to construct four-lane road. The tender annulment notice issued by the manager (tech) of NHAI-Odisha circle attributed the cancellation to administrative reasons. 'From the beginning, it was said that the highway to be built under this project would be four-lane and tenders were also called accordingly. However, after the re-evaluation of the project, it has been reported that it will be made two-lane, which is completely unacceptable,' the BJD leader said. The 346 km coastal highway was planned as an alternative and parallel carriageway to the existing NH-16. The project was prepared to connect from Gopalpur in Odisha's Ganjam district to Digha in West Bengal. BJP leaders were not immediately available for comment on the BJD's allegations. PTI AAM AAM RG This report is auto-generated from PTI news service. ThePrint holds no responsibility for its content.
Time of India
25-05-2025
- Politics
- Time of India
Some key BJD leaders skip party meet, fuel discord talk
Bhubaneswar: Some prominent BJD leaders were absent from a crucial organisational meeting on Sunday, fuelling speculation of potential discord within the opposition party. The meeting, which took place at senior MLA Pratap Keshari Deb's residence in Bhubaneswar, was called to discuss the BJD's organisational roadmap in Puri district. However, the absence of key figures like Puri MLA Sunil Mohanty, Kakatpur MLA Tusharkanti Behera and senior leader Sanjay Kumar Das Burma has raised eyebrows. From Puri district's six assembly constituencies — Puri, Brahmagiri, Satyabadi, Pipili, Kakatpur and Nimapara — BJD could win only in Puri and Kakatpur, while BJP claimed the remaining four in the 2024 elections. "The non-attendance of BJD's two MLAs from Puri district at a strategy meeting indicates all is not well in the party. Senior leader Das Burma, a former minister and previous Brahmagiri MLA, was not present. This indicates poor coordination among party leaders in Puri," political analyst Rabi Das said, adding that "After the party's debacle in the 2024 elections, BJD has been facing organisational challenges at several places in the state. " BJD's Puri district president Umakanta Samantray, who attended the meeting, dismissed suggestions of discord. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like One of the Most Successful Investors of All Time, Warren Buffett, Recommends: 5 Books for Turning... Blinkist: Warren Buffett's Reading List Click Here Undo "We all are united. There is no rift. Our meeting concentrated on strengthening BJD's position in Puri district," said Samantray, a former MLA from Satyabadi. He said the absence of some leaders should not interpreted negatively. Puri MLA Mohanty attributed his absence to prior commitments. "I was visiting some areas in my constituency. So I could not attend the meeting in Bhubaneswar," Mohanty told TOI. Das Burma and Tusharkanti were unavailable for comment. BJD's Rajya Sabha member and prominent Puri leader, Subhasish Khuntia, also affirmed party unity. "We discussed our roadmap and smooth conduct of organisational election in blocks and urban local bodies in Puri district," Khuntia said after coming out of the meeting. He avoided question on the absence of some key leaders in the meeting.
