5T Secy VK Pandian Directs Officials To Speed Up EKAMRA Project In Bhubaneswar

Bhubaneswar: Secretary to chief minister VK Pandian on Monday directed the authorities to speed up the EKAMRA project in Bhubaneswar.

During a field visit to different sites of the Ekamra Kshetra Amenities and Monuments Revival Action Plan (EKAMRA) project, Pandian reviewed the progress and asked the officials for early start of the works.

After reviewing the work plan and the schedule prepared by the agency, the 5T secretary instructed it to finalise all the detail designs, mobilise materials and machineries. He told its officials to start work on link road from Taleswar to Kotitirtheswar road, box drains from Sanatorium Chhak to Taleswar and onwards, north parking along with the link road and duct laying works along the outer access road.

Public amenities on both sides of Purbadwar Chhaak, behind Lingaraj Haat and near South West Parking should also be started at the same time, he said.

Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik had laid the foundation for the project on June 28 this year. The project, which was conceived in 2019, is an integrated approach to acknowledge and revive the heritage value of the inner core of the Old Town of Bhubaneswar through urban design.

The old town, also known as Ekamra Kshetra, is a living heritage city with numerous temples, sacred water bodies, processional routes and traditional communities of priests and diverse cultural activities and practices. The Chief Minister, who is keen on restoring the heritage sites of Old Town, had initiated the restoration of Bindu Sagar and setting up of Ekamra Bana project.

Principal Secretary, Works, VVK Yadav, Police Commissioner Soumendra Priyadarshi, BMC Commissioner VA Kulange, Khurda collector KS Chakraborty, OBCC MD, and other senior officers were present.