Bhubaneswar: Secretary to Chief Minister, VK Pandian today made field visit to different sites of the EKAMRA project and reviewed the progress.
After the review, Shri Pandian directed the authorities to speed up the EKAMRA project works. He has asked for early start to different works under the project.
He instructed the agency engaged in the work to finalize all the detail designs, mobilize materials & machineries, and start work on link road from Taleswar to Kotitirtheswar road, box drains from Sanatorium Chhak to Taleswar and onwards, north parking along with the link road and duct laying works along the outer access road.
Public amenities on both sides of Purbadwar chhaak, behind Lingaraj haat and near South West Parking should also be started at the same time. He advised us to complete the project works in time.
It may be mentioned here that Ekamra Kshetra Amenities and Monuments Revival Action Plan (EKAMRA) is an integrated approach to acknowledge and revive the heritage value of the inner core of the old town of Bhubaneswar through Urban Design.
The old town, also known as Ekamra Kshetra, is a living heritage city with numerous temples, sacred water bodies, processional routes and traditional communities of priests and diverse cultural activities and practices.
The EKAMRA development project, a dream project of Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik, was conceived in 2019, and the Chief Minister laid the foundation for the project on June 28 this year.
The Chief Minister has always been keen to restore the heritage sites of the Old Town area. He had initiated the restoration of Bindu Sagar and setting up of Ekamra Bana project.
Among others, Principal Secretary Works VV Yadav, Police Commissioner Soumendra Priyadarshi, BMC Commissioner VA Kulange, Khurda Collector KS Chakraborty, OBCC MD, J K Das and other senior officers were present.