BARIPADA: This election, poor sanitation and civic amenities are the major issues being raised in Baripada municipality. With campaigning on in full swing, political parties like the BJP, Congress, JMM and Independents contesting for ward councillor posts have made hygiene issues like irregular lifting off garbage, drainage and supply of safe drinking water their main poll planks to highlight failure of BJD.
Residents of Baripada have alleged that municipality staff are lifting garbage once in three four days and that too after being called. This is creating an unhealthy environment in almost all the wards with waste material strewn across roads and public places. That apart, ward residents claim civic amenities like drainage and proper roads are also a distant dream for them. Major roads linked to the district headquarters hospital and police station are repaired thrice a year due poor quality construction by contractors, they alleged.
JMM councillor candidate from ward 14, Subrat Kumar Mukhi said drinking water is being supplied only once instead of twice a day by the municipality. His Congress counterpart Amulya Das from ward 7 raised housing issue and said around 800 families are yet to get land patta despite having approached the district administration and municipality many times.
BJP’s Srusti Otta from ward 10 said the area is grappling with similar civic woes. Roads and drains under construction have not been completed for a year now. Solution to poor drainage, contamination of water and unhygienic atmosphere would be his focus areas if he wins, Otta said. Contacted, former vice-chairman of Baripada municipality Jitendra Mohanty refuted the allegations. The civic body has executed many development works for the town residents, he said.