A slum in Paradip. Telegraph picture

Paradip, Feb. 1: The Rs 35-crore urban development projects in the municipality areas here have failed to take off in the wake of a conflict over land ownership, though funds are at its disposal.

The road facilities in the slum colonies suffer following the land dispute between the port and state government agencies. The carving out of sewerage and drainage facilities in the slums has met the same fate. Around Rs 2 crore, sanctioned by the state urban development department, is lying idle. Besides, the solid waste management project, worth Rs 32 crore, has also been delayed because of the dispute.

The municipality is ready with over Rs 1 crore to build community halls and marriage mandaps. Similarly, the grants for a drinking water reservoir in the slum areas are also lying unutilised for lack of land, said municipal engineer of the Paradip Municipality Hemant Kumar Sethy.

Sizeable parts of the municipality come under the administrative control of the Paradip Port Trust. Now, both the port trust and the municipality authorities are laying claim and counter-claim over certain patches of land.

“We are in a catch-22 situation. But, we are failing to use the funds for public purpose as the port has turned anti-people. It is throwing spanner on such projects,” said the municipality’s executive officer Sharada Prasad Panda.

Projects of larger public interest such as the World Bank-funded solid waste management system, slum cluster development, resettlement of unauthorised settlers, streamlining of drinking water system have also come to a halt, said an official.

“We have drawn up detailed project report to lay out concrete roads in the slum areas, supply of water and drinking water. But, our plan has gone awry as the port trust is objecting to it. People in the colonies are leading a pathetic life with no water and electricity. But the port is not in a mood to budge an inch,” Panda said.

According to the Major Ports Act of India, any form of construction activity is barred till the major port accords the seal of approval to projects.

On the other hand, a port official said the port trust was not against the urban infrastructure projects in Paradip. The points of differences that the port had with the government are being amicably settled. Once the settlement is reached out, the port would hand over the land, he said.

The port township was accorded the notified area council status in 1979. Later, the fast growing industrial hub was elevated to a municipality in 2002. The state government has held talks with the port, so that the public utility projects could be launched at the earliest, said Jagatsinghpur collector Satya Kumar Mallick.