Shopping mall and hospital at Old Town soon

Odisha state government is exploring the feasibility of constructing a shopping complex and a hospital in the Old Town area. The state housing and urban development department has identified a piece of land near Annie House Chhak, along the Mahatab Road, for the proposed projects.

“There is no park, shopping mall or hospital around Mahatab road near Kapilaprasad, where a number of retired people stay. A vast piece of government land is available near Annie House Chhak, which is being encroached gradually from all sides,” said BMC commissioner Sanjib Kumar Mishra.

Senior officers of the department recently visited the site and asked Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation (BMC) and Bhubaneswar Development Authority (BDA) to jointly prepare a report and draw up plans for the projects.

BMC and BDA would jointly carry out eviction of unauthorized encroachments and constructions from the area. “After removal of the encroachment, we would rope in corporate houses to construct a shopping mall, hospital and a park on the land in public private partnership mode,” Mishra said.

The urban development department has instructed the BMC and BDA to remove the encroachment from the Old Town area for facilitating the widening of roads, construction of covered drains and sewerage lines. At many places in Old Town, 60 feet or 30 feet roads have been squeezed to 20 feet or 15 feet. At some places the roads have been reduced to barely 10 feet because of the squatters.

“BMC and BDA would conduct joint surveys in Bhimatangi, Kapilaprasad, Kapileswar, Sunderpada, Mahatab Road and Punama Gate area and take up expeditious action to remove the encroachers,” a senior officer of the department told TOI.

BDA has been asked to shoulder the responsibility of improving the surrounding of Bhimeswar temple complex in Old Town. The urban development department has harped on developing the front area of the temple in such a way that it would facilitate the staging of cultural programmes and religious functions. “A park for elderly persons can also be constructed. The proposed park should be maintained jointly by BDA and Bhimeswar temple committee,” the officer added. (Source – The Times of India)