India News | Patnaik Announces Rs 155 Crore Developmental Package for Balasore

Bhubaneswar, Apr 13 (PTI) Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik Tuesday announced a Rs 155 crore developmental package for Balasore Municipality area.

Patnaik announced the package barely hours after a team of senior officers comprising Chief Secretary S C Mohapatra, 5T Secretary VK Pandian and Works Secretary Krishan Kumar made an assessment of the basic requirements for the all-round development of Balasore town.

Patnaik's Tuesday developmental package announcement is considered politically significant as the BJD president during his virtual rally on Monday had assured the people of Pipili that he would personally look after the development of Pipili-Delang area in Puri district, a similar promise which he had also made to the electorate of Balasore during by-polls in November last year.

The Opposition BJP had raised the question of the sincerity of Patnaik's promises made to the people of Balasore five months ago.

"Balasore town is one of the main towns in Odisha and it is the birthplace of the famous litterateur Fakir Mohan Senapati. I had promised the people of Balasore district that my government will give priority to the development of the Balasore municipality area and here we are," the chief minister said, adding that he believed in works and not in words.

The package included, Rs 8 crore for the development of the bus stand at Sahadevkhunta, Rs 70 crore for construction of a 6-lane road from a flyover at Tumulia Gate to Station Chhak and installation of modern streetlights, upgrading major roads, Rs 14 crore for the construction of a multipurpose indoor hall and swimming pool, Rs 53 crore for strengthening and beautification of the embankment of the Budhabalang river.

This apart development and beautification of all major ponds in the town is also taken up besides Rs 7 crore earmarked for the development of drainage channels and the roads connecting the channels.

The chief minister said the construction of the teaching hospital of the Balasore Medical College is underway at a cost of Rs 275 crore. The work on concrete roads and community hall is being undertaken by the Balasore Municipality.

On their visit to Balasore, the chief secretary said they surveyed the ongoing development works and also those that are pending. They also visited the district headquarters hospital (DHH), the medical college project site and Balasore Zilla School, among others.

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)