BJP MPs in Odisha Flag Delays, Quality Concerns in Infrastructure Projects

Three Bharatiya Janata Party Lok Sabha MPs from Odisha have separately written to the Chief Minister and the Works Minister, Prithiviraj Harichandan, flagging delays and quality concerns in infrastructure projects in their constituencies. The letters place the Mohan Charan Majhi government in an awkward position, as the concerns come from within the ruling party.

Pradeep Kumar Panigrahy, the MP from Berhampur, was sharply critical of the Gate Bazar flyover project, comparing it to earlier Biju Janata Dal-era works that faced scrutiny over construction quality. In his letter, he said serious doubts had been raised about the quality and grade of raw materials being used, which he described as a grave threat to the flyover's long-term structural stability. He added that continuous delays had caused severe traffic bottlenecks, dust pollution and business losses for local shopkeepers and residents.

Mr. Panigrahy said the visible lack of quality control and oversight had created palpable fear among Berhampur residents, who were openly recalling past tragedies in the State, including the collapse of the under-construction Bomikhal flyover in Bhubaneswar, where poor quality standards and negligence led to loss of lives. He said the public was deeply anxious that a similar catastrophe could occur if the lapses at Gate Bazar were ignored.

Balabhadra Majhi, the MP from Nabarangpur, wrote to Works Secretary Sanjay Singh seeking strict action and an inquiry into the extreme delay in constructing the Nabarangpur bypass road. He noted that the tender was awarded on December 2, 2024, with a stipulated completion period of 24 months and a scheduled date of December 1, 2026. Despite 21 months having elapsed since commencement, physical progress stood at about 10%, he wrote.

Sangeeta Kumari Singh Deo, the MP from Bolangir, raised concerns about the ability of the State-run Odisha Bridge and Construction Corporation Limited to execute the strengthening and widening of the existing two-lane road to four lanes on the Sambalpur-Sonepur road in Subarnapur district, sanctioned at an estimated cost of ₹680 crore. She said the project had been entrusted to the OBCC, but there had been no visible progress on the ground and the executing agency had not shown adequate commitment towards timely completion given the delay. She requested that the work be reassigned to the Roads and Building Division, Sonepur, for better monitoring and timely completion.

Earlier, Kantabanji MLA Laxman Bag had written to the Chief Minister expressing resentment over what he described as disregard for proposals of welfare projects in his constituency.

While BJP leaders described the letters as routine, political observers said they could damage the image of the present government, as people have begun comparing the pace of development with that of the previous Naveen Patnaik government. Pradeep Mohanty, a Bhubaneswar-based political analyst, said the previous government under Mr. Patnaik had caught public imagination with big projects and a wide, quality road network across the State, and that the condition of roads had deteriorated within the last two years. When its own MPs raise concerns over the sluggish pace of development, it validates people's concerns, he said.