Bhubaneswar: The authorities in Bhubaneswar on Saturday resumed the eviction drive for the 200-ft six-lane road, which will serve as an alternative for commuters regularly using the busy Jaydev Vihar–Nandankanan stretch, which now connects major landmarks in the city.
According to sources, around 80 houses will be demolished as part of the ongoing exercise, which began from one side of Ekamra Kanan road led jointly by the Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation (BMC) and Bhubaneswar Development Authority (BDA) in the presence of police.
Sources further stated that four dedicated teams, comprising officials from BMC, BDA, Commissionerate Police, and support workers, have been deployed to ensure the process runs smoothly. Each team is tasked with handling approximately 20 houses, with vehicles arranged to help affected families shift their belongings.
Residents were observed vacating their homes with assistance at multiple sites, while heavy machinery carried out the demolitions.
While many families cooperated with the relocation, some residents voiced concerns over the allotment of alternative housing. One woman claimed she had not received a key despite others doing so, alleging errors in registration and preferential treatment for certain families. Another alleged irregularities, including deliberate alterations to survey records and multiple allotments linked to single electricity bills, and appealed directly to Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi for a fresh, accurate survey. In contrast, at least one evictee reported receiving a key and shifting voluntarily.
This follows the earlier demolition of more than 550 structures in Salia Sahi, capital’s largest slum, to facilitate development of the road along 1-km stretch of Ekamra Kanan for the 13-km-long long-pending left parallel road (LPR) project, spanning CRP square to Nandankanan.
The project is expected to significantly improve urban connectivity and traffic management in Bhubaneswar once completed.
