NH 26 Jeypore-Koraput stretch in South Odisha in poor condition

Not more than 20 per cent of the six-km road between Jeypore and Koraput on NH 26 in Odisha has been completed since May 2009 though the project was supposed to be completed in two years.

"Being a portion of the NH, thousands of vehicles ply over it every day but it's nightmarish to cross it. We have called bandhs many times and moved officials concerned for speedy repair of the road, but to no avail," said General Secretary of Jeypore Lorry Owner's Association Nari Mohanty.

"It's a death trap. It is difficult to shift patients either to the district headquarters hospital at Koraput or to bigger hospitals in Visakhapatnam and Bhubaneswar," said Sadhu Chattriya, a Jeypore based social activist.

The works department (NH wing) has spent around Rs 10 crore to repair the road, to a Bhubaneswar based contractor and recently his work order has been cancelled as he failed to meet the deadline, an official said.

"The work has been awarded to a local contractor. Very soon work for the NH will begin and we expect it would be completed within six months," said executive engineer of NH wing (Sunabeda) Ramiya Kumar Panda. Source: Press Trust of India