Officials inspect the spot where the NH bypass would come up in Koraput (Photo | EPS)
Officials inspect the spot where the NH bypass would come up in Koraput (Photo | EPS)

Four years on, National Highway bypass plan to connect Koraput with Jeypore a non-starter

In 2016, NHAI had notified acquisition of 26.16 acre of private and 25.21 acre of Government land for the four-km-long bypass road.

KORAPUT: Four years since it was planned, the proposed NH bypass to connect Koraput railway junction with Jeypore road via Janiguda village continues to hang fire as the stakeholders, particularly the Railways, have failed to reach an agreement over its route.

On Monday too, the Railway officials raised objections to the proposed route during a field visit by a team including Koraput MP Saptagiri Sankar Ulaka, local MLAs Pritam Padhi and Raghuram Padal, former MLA  Nimai Sarkar and Collector Madhusudan Mishra, apart from authorities of National Highway Authority of India (NHAI).

In 2016, NHAI had notified acquisition of 26.16 acre of private and 25.21 acre of Government land for the four-km-long bypass road. But Railway authorities have been protesting as the bypass was to pass through its land and its residential colony. 

More than 10 meetings between authorities of district administration, NHAI and Railways, have been held in the last four years. But  the issue has not been resolved. 

Collector Madhusudan Mishra said a joint survey by NHAI and Railways will be conducted to finalise the proposal. “The earlier road alignment will be modified without affecting the railway colony. The proposal will be finalised within four days,” he added.

Engineers from NHAI and Railways along with Senior Divisional Engineer (Central) Prasanjit Choudhury were also present during the field visit.

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