Muktikanta to sit on strike seeking early completion of bridge

Rourkela: Muktikanta Biswal, the social activist from Rourkela who became popular by walking from the steel city to Delhi twice highlighting pro-public issues, has decided to sit on strike from Gandhi Jayanti on the site of Deo river demanding early completion of bridge over the river.

Biswal said the Rural Development department had started the construction work of the bridge on June 30, 2018 at a cost of Rs 792.95 lakh. The deadline to complete the bridge was June 29, 2020. About 20,000 inhabitants of Jhirpani, Mitukunduri, Karkata, Simarta, Kacharu, Reun, Pasara, Jharbeda, Karmabahal, Luchabahal, Sandalki and Bijubandh were eagerly waiting for the completion of the bridge. But to their disappointment, the bridge is yet to be completed and work on the bridge has stopped for the past one year. Without the required land acquisition and proper distribution of compensation to land owners, work on the bridge started in a hurry as the 2019 election was approaching. As the bridge is partly completed, people, after walking through the river for a certain distance, are dangerously climbing a 30-foot high temporary ladder on to the bridge thus risking their lives.