Bhubaneswar, June 30: The municipal corporation took Kalinga Vihar under its folds on February 20 last year but is oblivious that its latest acquisition requires civic services.
Ever since it took over Kalinga Vihar, the Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation (BMC) has not been sweeping streets, collecting garbage, trimming bushes, repairing street lights and maintaining the sewerage on a regular basis in the area.
The new area also misses out on several amenities that prime localities such as Kharavela Nagar enjoy (see chart).
With the monsoon having set in, weeds have surfaced everywhere in Kalinga Vihar. Also, unclean streets and irregular collection of garbage are creating problems for citizens.
There are 472 houses (including plots) in Kalinga Vihar and the permanent citizens here are mainly retired government employees.
Bhubaneswar Development Authority (BDA) had developed the area in 1992 and started giving possession to the owners after 1997.
President of Kalinga Vihar Residents' Welfare Association and former vice-chancellor of Culture University Amiya Kumar Patnaik said: "We have approached the civic authorities on several occasions after inclusion of the area under the BMC. The last time, we were told that the services would start by May 1. But so far nothing has happened."
He said Kalinga Vihar comes under ward Nos. 32 and 67. While the parts near K6 near Patrapada are under ward No. 32, ward No. 67 covers areas on the other side of NH-5.
"After meeting the mayor, municipal commissioner, additional commissioner and city health officer at least four or five times, the mayor finally came to our locality three months ago with a group of officials and promised all services. But we don't know why nothing has been done," he said.
Responding to the charges, mayor Ananta Narayan Jena said: "We are going to start the civic services shortly. I will have a discussion with the city health officer regarding this."
Rabi Prusty, a resident of Kalinga Vihar, said: "We are getting hints from the civic officials that all the residents have to pay their holding tax with retrospective effect from February 20 last year."
The old sewer lines have been lying damaged for years. "The civic authorities need to coordinate with other agencies to fix it," he said.
Additional commissioner Alok Kumar Kar also assured that all civic services extended to people across the city would also be available in Kalinga Vihar.
"We will start it shortly through a private agency engaged in the nearby wards," he said.
A senior BMC official, on the condition of anonymity, said: "The service delivery in many pockets in the city is getting hampered because of the lack of human resources and co-ordination. We should not add more and more areas for expansion if we cannot ensure proper services to the people."
