Oraon's kin slams flyover naming

Despite chief minister Hemant Soren's announcement to name the newly inaugurated flyover after tribal icon Kartik Oraon, the latter's daughter and former state minister Geeta Shree Oraon called the move a "political gimmick" and said protests against the Mecon-Sirom Toli ramp in front of the Sarna Sthal would continue.

- Raj Kumar

RANCHI: Chief minister Hemant Soren inaugurated a 2.34 km four-lane flyover, an elevated path-and-ROB project connecting Siromtoli Chowk from Mecon roundabout via Rajendra Chowk on the occasion of Ganga Dussehra on Thursday.

Inaugurating the project, CM Soren said that it would be named after Kartik Oraon, a tribal legend and three-time MP from Lohardaga.

"The flyover will be named after Baba Kartik Oraon, who was a tribal agitator and a guide of tribal society," Soren said, addressing a section of the media on the flyover.

Earlier, while inaugurating the flyover, Soren said that the project was a milestone towards providing better traffic solutions for the people of the state and the city.

"Everyone knows how important the flyover is for the people of the state and the city. It is a milestone toward providing better traffic. This is the second flyover. Earlier, we inaugurated a flyover in Kanta Toli and handed it over to the people. The flyover will benefit the people of the state and the city," he said.

An official from the road construction department present at the flyover after the inauguration said the project involved ₹355.76 crore, and many technologies have been used in the construction of this flyover, which is the first of its kind in the country.