The proposed NH 55 link from OMP square in Cuttack to Nuagaon area here close to the JSW steel project is hanging fire without any progress since 2015. In 2015, the Union Ministry of Highways and Road Transport declared Cuttack-Jagatisnghpur-Balikuda-Nuagaon State Highway as NH-55.
Till date no development has taken place except for a stand post declaring it as NH 55 at different points. Repair and maintenance works have stopped and the condition of the road has worsened over the years.
Congress leader Debendra Mallick has expressed ‘Union Government has been undertaken Cuttack-Jagatisnghpur-Balikuda-Nuagaon State Highway as NH-55 from 2015 but nothing has yet progressed to make this road as National Highway after four years . Negligence of officials of NH and fund crunch is the main cause for delaying the construction of this NH, he alleged. Nobody is sure of its alignment – whether it would pass through Jagatsinghpur town or not . Even the preliminary work like identification of required land has not been taken up as yet.
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The length of the road is 94.139 km of which 15.339 kms is under Cuttack district and rest 78.800 km is under Jagatsinghpur district. Total nine bridges and six bye pass will be constructed. Total 957.149 acres of land including 113.359 acres of government land and 843.790 acres of private land are required for the NH project.Executive Engineer, National Highway Abhya Kumar Mohanty conceded that several issues on alignment etc is pending disposal of the regional office.
After its approval, land acquisition process and other activities will be started, he informed. It may be recalled that in 2017, the district administration had conducted public consultation meeting for proposed NH 55 and sought the intervention of NH officials, state officials, elected representatives to expedite the land acquisition towards the progress work of NH.
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