Bhubaneswar: Tourism development officers in Odisha have been directed to carry out regular inspections of wayside amenity centres and report any deficiencies within two weeks to ensure timely corrective action and quality upkeep.
The directive was issued during a recent review meeting in Bhubaneswar, where it was decided that all 68 wayside amenity centres currently under renovation across the state will become operational by next month.
Of the total, 18 centres were constructed by the tourism department, while the remaining 50 were built by the works department along national highways, state highways, and major roads leading to tourist destinations. These facilities, which include parking areas, toilets, and rest sheds, were originally developed to provide basic comfort to travellers but had deteriorated over time due to inadequate maintenance, with several centres left abandoned.
Officials of the Odisha Tourism Development Corporation (OTDC) said renovation of 17 of the 18 tourism department–owned centres has been completed. Work at the Jharbeda centre in Sundargarh district remains pending due to the absence of an approach road. OTDC has also taken up repair and refurbishment of the 50 centres belonging to the works department.
The tourism department has set a February-end deadline for completion of all renovation work. Officers have also been instructed to closely supervise security and sanitation staff to ensure sustained maintenance once the facilities become operational.
-OdishaAge
