Inauguration Of Gurupriya Bridge By CM Postponed Due To Heavy Rain

Malkangiri: Inauguration of the Gurupriya bridge over the Janbai river in the cut-off area of Chitakonda block in Odisha’s Malkangiri district has been postponed following heavy rain.

Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik was scheduled to inaugurate the bridge on July 18.

Official sources said that the next date would be announced once the weather condition improves.

Notably, Electronics and IT minister Chandra Sarathi Behera and Works secretary Nalini Kanta Pradhan had been camping at Gurupriya bridge for the last three days ahead of the scheduled visit of the Chief Minister.

Though it has been drizzling since last three weeks, the Malkangiri district received average rainfall of 49.94 mm in the last 24 hours with the highest of 68 mm recorded in Mathili block.

The construction of the 910-metre bridge was taken up by Kolkata-based Royal Infraconstru Limited at an estimated cost of Rs 172 crore under the direct supervision of the Works department. The work began in 2014 with the deployment of Border Security Forces at both ends of the bridge.

The bridge will connect 151 villages with a population of about 30,000, spread over seven panchayats in the cut-off area, with the mainland.