Industries minister Debi Prasad Mishra and other officials and councillors of Cuttack Municipal Corporation at inauguration of medicinal garden and night shelter on Sunday andCongress activists stage a protest against the failure of the civic body in addressing various grievances of public. Pictures by Badrika Nath Das

Cuttack, Aug. 31: Local Self-government Day turned out to be a low-key affair as only a few projects were formally inaugurated by the Cuttack Municipal Corporation (CMC) here today. The Congress observed the day as ‘Black Day’.

The Cuttack Nagar Congress staged a peaceful demonstration at Puri Ghat. “Despite forming the council twice, the BJD has failed to address the various problems of the city residents, to which the state government is meting out a step-motherly treatment,” said Mohammad Moquim, city Congress president.

Dharmananda Patra, Congress councillor from ward No. 37, alleged that the corporation had failed to address basic issues including immediate repair of roads, which is causing severe problems for the residents.

“We will resort to agitation if the municipal corporation does not take adequate measures for resolving various grievances including repair of roads before Dussehra,” said Patra.

Barring the inauguration of the medicinal garden, night shelter, and office of the National Rural Livelihood Mission, no major project was announced for the city.

CMC officials said Rs four lakh had been spent for creation of the medicinal garden at the central nursery in Badambadi.

The civic body also laid the foundation for the new office of the CMC health department at Bikash Bhavan in Badambadi today.

CMC officials said the night shelter project has been established at Badambadi at a cost of Rs 26 lakh.

The civic body had drawn flak for not able to complete various projects, including renovation of Town Hall, Debi Gada portal, Art Gallery and vending zones, in the city.

CMC commissioner Gyana Ranjan Das, on the other hand, claimed that a lot of development projects had already been planned while the foundation stone for various welfare works would be laid shortly.

“We have made proposals for the construction of a kalyan mandap and three community centres. The foundation stone will be laid on September 4 and 6, respectively,” said Das, adding that the foundation stone were to be laid today but the event was postponed at the last moment owing to some unavoidable reasons, one of which was bad weather.

According to the proposals, a kalyan mandap would be built at Biju Patnaik Chhak at an estimated cost of Rs one crore, while three community centres would also be established at a cost of Rs 60 lakh.