Metro status planned for Bhubaneswar

The Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation (BMC) has decided to bring 21 Gram Panchayat Offices (GPOs) and two revenue villages under its jurisdiction to enable the capital city get a metropolitan status.

 In a major decision at the BMC meeting on Monday, it was decided that the GPOs on the outskirts of Bhubaneswar would be included under BMC’s jurisdiction for reaching a  population beyond 10 lakh. This would thus enable Bhubaneswar get the metropolitan status.

 “If we manage to get a metropolitan status, it would help us in getting  Central grants, which we don’t get now,”  BMC Commissioner Vishal K Dev said.

 The two revenue villages proposed to be included in the Capital are Daruthenga and Mendhasala. The GPOs proposed to be included for the metro plan are Shishupal, Raghunathpur, Dhauli, Madanpur, Kalyanpur and Chandaka.

 A proposal was also made at the meeting to  adopt mobile tracking system for disposing of garbage across the city.

 In a bid to make garbage disposal system  efficient, online monitoring would be put in place. There would be strict vigilance on sanitation workers for timely collection and disposal of garbage.

 “On the eve of Local Self-Governance Day on August 31, instructions have been issued to make the City garbage-free. Cleanliness and sanitation of the City will be the top priority of the corporation,” BMC Mayor Ananta Narayan Jena said.

 There have been numerous complaints about the location of the BMC office. “The present office, situated on the outskirts of the City, makes it difficult for the people to visit the office. In view of this problem, we have decided to open five zonal offices,” Dev said.

 The five zonal offices will be located at Kapileshwar, Rental Colony, Unit-8, Laxmisagar and Kalyan Mandap (temporary) in Chandrasekharpur.

 “These zonal offices will have adequate staff support” Dev added.

 There was also a proposal to tackle  dengue and malaria menace in the City. “BMC, along with Health Department, will be taking steps to check mosquito menace in the City,” Jena said.

 It was also decided that the BMC will construct four new community centres and one Kalyan Mandap in the City.