BHUBANESWAR: The council meeting of Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation (BMC) on Friday was disrupted for around two hours over a faux pas by the municipal commissioner on Jaga Mission.
The trouble started at around 12.30 pm when commissioner Vijay Amruta Kulange during the discussion on Jaga Mission allegedly referred to the land record certificates (LRC), distributed to eligible beneficiaries under the scheme as ‘patta’.
This prompted the BJP corporators to stage strong protest on the floor. The BJP members accused the government of hoodwinking the urban poor and slum dwellers by distributing LRC in the name of patta. They raised a series of questions on alleged irregularities pertaining to distribution of LRC among beneficiaries in the city. Unable to get a satisfactory reply from mayor Sulochana Das or other BMC authorities, they staged a walkout.
A BJP corporator alleged the civic body has not even carried out the USHA survey as a result of which several eligible beneficiaries have been deprived of LRC.
The mayor, however, alleged the Opposition members had already decided not to cooperate in the meeting. “Even we admit that there are certain cases where beneficiaries are facing some problems. But, the distribution process is on and all grievances will be addressed. For this we need the support and cooperation of all including corporators,” she said.
BMC to remove political posters, banners in city
Political posters and banners put up at random places in the state capital ahead of elections will soon be removed.
Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation commissioner Vijay Amruta Kulange said the civic body has received an order from the Election Commission of India (ECI) to remove all such unauthorised posters and banners. Wall paintings too will be cleared. “We have also requested all political parties to adhere to the ECI guidelines and cooperate with the civic body in this regard,” Kulange said.
Opposition parties, meanwhile, have asked BMC to follow the direction in spirit. Accusing BMC of not taking adequate steps to remove BJD posters, members of BJP Bhubaneswar district unit alleged the civic body executes such directives by removing posters and banners of Opposition parties. They alleged during elections, posters of many BJP leaders and aspirants including city MP Aparajita Sarangi were removed while those of BJD at the same locations were left untouched.
BMC officials, however, asserted all political posters from unauthorised places will be removed.