Bhubaneswar: Indian Roads Congress (IRC) is returning to Odisha after a decade. The 84th edition of the event will be held at Janata Maidan in Bhubaneswar from November 6-10.
This is the sixth time that the state has been chosen as host, which has put the spotlight back on the locality, IRC Village, which stands testimony to an enduring legacy born out of a temporary beginning.
While Odisha hosted its first Indian Roads Congress in 1954, it was again picked for the event in 1982 when engineers, officials, and dignitaries from across the country were expected to gather in Bhubaneswar to discuss India’s growing road network. However, the city then did not have enough star hotels and guest houses to accommodate such large number of prominent attendees. Drawing inspiration from the Asiad Village built for the Asian Games, the government then decided to put up the delegates in temporary structures built on an open field under Nayapalli Mouza.
This new settlement soon came to be known as the IRC Village, which slowly transformed into a permanent and prestigious residential area keeping pace with the city’s growing landscape.
Odisha went on to host the event again in 1994, 2005 and 2015. The return of Indian Roads Congress, reflects both continuity and progress, highlighting the state’s giant strides in planning and development.
