States » EastPosted at: Oct 26 2026 9:41PM


A road first planned in 1989 still unfinished; Odisha villagers take charge

Bhubaneswar, Oct 26 (UNI) After decades of official apathy and repeated failures to complete a road project first proposed in 1989, residents of a remote tribal village in Odisha’s Ganjam district have taken a ‘do-it-yourself’ route, clearing nearly eight kilometres of an overgrown forest stretch to restore connectivity to their panchayat headquarters.
Armed with machetes and other tools, villagers of Upper Buratal cleared thorny bushes and wild creepers that had rendered the neglected road increasingly inaccessible, particularly during the rainy season.
The road connects Dobatia on the Tumba-Paralakhemundi route to Buratal panchayat headquarters. Despite successive attempts to execute the project over more than three decades, the crucial link remains incomplete, said local leader Upendra Karji.
In 1992, the Tumba Development Agency sanctioned Rs 23.40 lakh and entrusted the Rural Development Department with construction. However, forest land clearance issues stalled the work. After years of delay, the project was put to tender in 2018 at an estimated cost of around Rs 8 crore.
Though bitumen surfacing was completed along most of the stretch, nearly one kilometre near Buratal remained unfinished due to objections from the Forest Department. The contractor subsequently approached the court, and construction has remained stalled for nearly five years.
The prolonged delay has taken a toll on development in Buratal panchayat. Government offices originally planned at Buratal now largely function from Dudukabada, at the foothills, because of the difficulty in reaching the village. Residents of Tadingi and parts of the Ramagiri area in neighbouring Gajapati district also depend on the road.
With the unfinished stretch deteriorating and becoming overgrown, villagers recently decided that every household would contribute labour to clear the route, stepping in where successive official efforts had failed to deliver an all-weather connection.
Rural Development Department officials said a fresh estimate would be prepared and a new tender floated to resume construction.
For the villagers, the latest assurance comes after more than three decades of waiting for a road first proposed in 1989. UNI MK CDS
Tags: #A road first planned in 1989 still unfinished; Odisha villagers take charge
More News

New Santragachi–Jaipur train service to boost rail connectivity

26 Oct 2026 | 11:09 PM

Kolkata, Oct 26 (UNI) A new train connecting Santragachi in West Bengal with Khatipura in Jaipur was flagged off through video conferencing by union Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw on Monday.

see more..

Three men, including two teenagers, allegedly stripped & paraded naked in Kolkata over romantic affair

26 Oct 2026 | 11:00 PM

Kolkata, Oct 26 (UNI) In what is being described as an act of medieval-style barbarism, three men, including two teenagers, were allegedly forced to walk naked in public at gunpoint by a minor girl's family in the Behala area after one of the youths was caught in a compromising position with her, police said on Monday.

see more..

Meghalaya to host East Zone National Judo Black Belt & NDIC Camp from Oct 29

26 Oct 2026 | 10:51 PM

Shillong, Oct 26 (UNI) Meghalaya will host the East Zone National Black Belt and NDIC Judo Gradation Coaching Camp and Examination 2026–27 from October 29 to November 3 at the Sri Aurobindo Institute of Indian Culture (SAIIC), Shillong.

see more..

Odisha to roll out NGDRS to modernise property registration

26 Oct 2026 | 10:44 PM

Bhubaneswar, Oct 26 (UNI) Odisha plans to introduce the National Generic Document Registration System (NGDRS) in phases, beginning with selected registration offices, to make land and property registration simpler, faster and more transparent. .

see more..

Cyclone Arnab: Odisha Dy CM reviews Energy department’s disaster preparedness

26 Oct 2026 | 10:21 PM

Bhubaneswar, Oct 26 (UNI) With Cyclone Arnab posing a potential threat to southern and coastal Odisha, Deputy Chief Minister K V Singh Deo on Monday reviewed the Energy Department’s disaster preparedness and operational readiness, directing officials to ensure grid resilience, minimise power disruptions and prevent loss of life.

see more..