Community centre of Bhubaneswar Municipality Corporation at Laxmisagar BDA Colony. Picture by Ashwinee Pati

Bhubaneswar, July 22: The Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation (BMC) has decided not to construct any more community centres in the future.

The general administration department, which is the official owner of all government land in the city, has also communicated to the civic body that the purpose of building these centres had been defeated because of mismanagement by several resident welfare associations.

In fact, the civic body was constructing community centres at places earmarked by housing colonies constructed by the housing board or the Bhubaneswar Development Authority.

Later it was found that “the limited recreational services to be rendered by the centres for the community’’ were transformed into profit-making ventures by welfare associations. The associations raked in money by putting them on rent for marriages, thread ceremonies and other social functions. However, the income never reached BMC coffers.

Recently, BMC has taken possession of one such community centre in ward No. 40 which had gone into the hands of a local club. Sources in BMC also said a community centre near Buddhesari Temple was minting lakhs of rupees while the money should have reached BMC’s kitty.

“In the past, many organisations had tried to convert the ownership of community centres through manipulation of records and cases are pending in the courts. Therefore, we have decided to initiate a survey to identify community centres within the BMC fold and acquire them,’’ said deputy municipal commissioner Priyadarshi Mohapatra.

“After acquiring these properties, the civic body can also go for limited vertical use and rope in organisations such as Bakul Foundation to start public libraries or reading centres for local residents or children of nearby slums,’’ Mohapatra added.

Not only community centres, but BMC is also planning to list recreation facilities, gymnasium, dispensaries (both allopathic and homoeopathic) and even schools to know the locations of these landed properties.

“In the wake of the flood-like situation in some parts of the city, the authorities have also decided to go for a detailed survey of roads, drains and pavements as they also belong to the BMC. The survey will also include all BMC housing colonies, quarters and even slum quarters for its employees and people of other departments,’’ the deputy municipal commissioner said.

BMC sources said when there were only 47 wards, almost all the localities had a community centre as they were useful in holding social functions and other celebrations. Though at present there are 60 wards, all of them do not have community centres. Officially there are seven kalyan mandaps and two community centres in the city.

However, many centres are managed by local community leaders without the BMC making any benefit.

As the civic authorities are going to implement satellite-based holding assessment system in the city soon, integrating the database of these existing properties of the civic body in 60 wards would also help in knowing the value of the total assets of the municipal corporation.

Councillor of ward No. 58 Chhabindra Jena alleged that utilisation of the community centre by a ‘Unnayan Parishad’ had become a problem area in Bhimatangi.

“Members of the community centre, in fact, allegedly collect Rs 2,000 to Rs 3,000 per day but they are declaring Rs 500 to Rs 1,200 on paper,’’ he said.

Recently, the civic body has created a separate land section as it was operating from a temporary place in the office.

“Once space is available, we will go for a separate estate wing to list all the landed properties and the data will be administered under the recovery officer for reference. Even in case of issuance of no objection certificate to real estate developers for road and drainage approvals, the role of the estate wing will be more and codified,’’ Mohapatra said.