Odisha CM to inaugurate Gurupriya bridge to benefit 30,000 people
Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik will inaugurate the 910-meter-long bridge on the river Gurupriya next month. The bridge will serve as the lifeline for over 30,000 people living in the cut-off area of Malkangiri district, which is dominated by Maoists. The cut-off area is encircled by the Balimela reservoir on three sides and the remaining side borders a dense forest in Andhra Pradesh.
Former CM JB Patnaik laid foundation stone of bridge
Former Chief Minister JB Patnaik had laid the foundation stone of the bridge in 1982. Later, the foundation stone was again laid by Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik in 2000. As the Maoists have been opposing the construction of the project, security has been tightened and six high-resolution CCTV cameras have been installed at different locations of the bridge to protect the structure, officials said.
