Bhubaneswar: The joint eviction squads demolished structures on Tarini Temple premises at Master canteen square in Bhubaneswar on Monday.
The extended constructions on the Maa Tarini temple’s premises were a major bottleneck in completion of the Smart Janpath project. The original structure of the deity under the banyan tree was left untouched as a legal battle relating to it is still pending.
Minor religious structures near the temple like the cemented floor and other structures on 5,000 square feet area were cleared from encroachment.
One squad each of Bhubaneswar Smart City Limited, Bhubaneswar Development Authority and Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation pulled down the structures around Tarini temple.
On an earlier occasion a portion of the temple and the encroached areas in front of Jajati Hotel were cleared.
Long-pending issues delaying the progress Smart Janpath work are being gradually addressed under the leadership of Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of Bhubaneswar Smart City Limited Sanjay Kumar Singh.
Vending zone near Ram Mandir Square, encroachments along the road connecting station and Master Canteen and the iconic statue representing Konark’s warrior and horse were amicably solved for the progress of Smart Janpath work.
Smart Janpath envisaged as People’s Smart Path is a dedicated corridor for pedestrians, cyclists, underground utilities, etc and the entire stretch shall have active public plazas, proper crossings on the junctions, street furniture and dedicated vending zones, stated BMC.
The redevelopment of Janpath Road under the Smart Janpath plan includes streetscape design, beautification, landscaping, intersection redesign, and infrastructure upgrades with construction of new pavement, rehabilitation of existing pavement, construction and/or rehabilitation of existing structures. The project cost is Rs 79.56 crore.
