File picture of Bidanasi residents wading through a waterlogged zone in their locality

Cuttack, Jan. 23: Major parts of Bidanasi and its neighbouring areas lack basic amenities such as proper roads, piped drinking water facilities, drains and garbage disposal.

The forthcoming civic elections in these areas on the western fringe of the city will be fought on these issues.

Sitting BJD councillors had been promising to resolve the problems. However, nothing substantial has been done.

This area is a stronghold of both the BJD and the BJP while the Congress has got a small presence. At present, the BJD has upper hand because Sudhir Kumar Rout, the sitting BJP councillor of one of the two wards there, had joined the BJD.

The BJP, which has a support base in the area, is not going to let the two wards in the area go easily in the hands of BJD. Senior BJP leader and former state minister Samir Dey has already started campaigning for his party candidates in the two wards.

A crater on a Bidanasi road. Picture by Badrika Nath Das

Bidanasi and the neighbouring areas were part of ward Nos. 1 and 2. After delimitation and creation of new wards, Bidanasi, Kumbhar Sahi, Gopala Sahi, Harijan Sahi, Laxmivihar, Satbadivihar, Tarenivihar, Nuasahi, Mundasahi, Sandhapur, Bidyadharpur, Balibandha and Bidyadharpur have become ward Nos. 1, 2 and 3. The area houses over 20,000 voters.

Residents in most parts of the area are not happy as piped drinking water and proper roads still elude the locality. “The roads are never repaired and waterlogging remains a major problem due to the absence of drains,” said Saroj Maharana, who lives in the area.

Ward No. 1 BJD councillor Nirupama Hati said: “Laying drinking water pipelines is almost complete. A major road from Sovania High School to the embankment road has also been over.”

This time, the BJD has dropped Hati and fielded former councillor Dharmesh Nayak from the ward.

The area neither has a public toilet nor a community centre. No steps have been taken to develop the shoddy municipal dispensary over the past five years.

Though work on the development of a crematorium had been completed at Bidanasi, there is no proper crematorium facility for Munda Sahi, Brajabiharpur, Bidyadharpur and Sandhapur, said a local resident.

“Most localities face a serious mosquito problem, because no steps have yet been taken to control the menace,” said another resident Giridhar Rout.

CPI candidate contesting from ward No. 2 N. Simon Rao said: “Bad roads, absence of street lights and drains and safe drinking water pipelines are testimony to the Cuttack Municipal Corporation’s failure to provide basic civic services.”

Ward No. 2 BJP councillor (who joined the BJD) Sudhir Kumar Rout said: “Water supply has been extended to Bidyadharpur. Almost all main roads and over 80 per cent of the internal roads in the ward have been developed.”

The BJD has dropped Sudhir and fielded Itishree Behera to contest from ward No. 2.

The BJP and Congress have fielded candidates from the two wards. While the Odisha Jana Morcha has fielded a candidate from ward No. 1 CPI has fielded its candidate from ward No 2. The Ama Odisha has fielded Independent candidates from ward Nos. 1 and 2.