Odisha cabinet approves irrigation project for Bijepur, sewerage system in BBSR

Bhubaneswar: The Odisha Cabinet today gave its nod to three proposals with the Gangadhar Meher Lift Canal System for Bijepur in Bargarh district being the major one.

“This lift irrigation project will irrigate a total of 32,000 hectares of land– 19,000 in Bijepur, 8,000 in Sohela and 5,000 in Barpali. It will improve agricultural output in the area. A tender in this regard will be completed within March,” informed Agriculture Minister Damodara Rout after the cabinet meeting.

Briefing further about the meeting, Chief Secretary Aditya Prasad Padhi said the project will cost about Rs 1246 crore.

“The cabinet also gave its approval to a sewerage project for Bhubaneswar’s sewerage district-II (mostly comprising Old Town areas). The project work was earlier awarded to one East Coast Construction which couldn’t execute it properly following which the contract was terminated,” Padhi said, adding that the Rs 173 crore-project has now been awarded to Laxmi Constructions, Ahmedabad and July, 2020 is the estimated date of completion of work.

“The third proposal was prorogation of the last assembly session, which is a routine item,” he concluded.