Move On To Make ‘Ekamra Kshetra’ In Bhubaneswar Beggar-Free

Bhubaneswar: The Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation (BMC) and the Bhubaneswar Development Authority (BDA) have started initiating the process to make ‘Ekamra Kshetra’, the heritage hub of the city, beggar-free on priority basis.

The move is a part of the beautification and developmental work of the state government’s Ekamra Kshetra Amenities and Monumental Revival Action (EKAMRA) plan.

Efforts are on to rehabilitate the beggars and destitutes roaming around the Lingaraj temple by providing livelihood support and to bring them to the mainstream under the ‘Sahaya’ scheme of the government.

The BMC has started survey in the Old Town area to identify beggars and homeless people. It will help the beggars who want to return to their home. Those, who don’t wish to return, will be rehabilitated in various shelter homes. The administration has deployed NGOs and government officials in identifying the beggars.

In another development, about 90% of land acquisition process has been completed for the Ekamra Kshetra heritage project. It will be completed by the end of this month, said a BMC official.

Meanwhile, the land acquisition process and pre-construction work on the 60 feet alternate road from Sanitarium Chhak to Lingaraj Temple has started. The road will help pedestrians and devotees reach the temple smoothly and without much inconvenience even during Maha Shivaratri.

To make the land acquisition process hassle-free for elderly and senior citizens, the BMC officials are visiting their homes to complete the paper work at their doorsteps.

The city administration has requested the traders and business establishments in the Ekamra Kshetra to replace the signages by a uniform heritage, interpretative and directional signages in the area.

The heritage signage should be designed in a way that it respects the age, architecture, and scale of historic building as well as the historic nature of the overall streetscape.