BHUBANESWAR: The Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation (BMC) has decided to form a team to identify Wards which are lacking basic amenities and take measures to provide facilities like roads and drains besides streetlights.
For the purpose, the Corporation has identified 17 Wards in the Capital and its suburbs. BMC Commissioner Krishnan Kumar has directed Additional Commissioner Alok Kar to form the team and identify the underdeveloped areas in all the Wards.
Apart from the Additional Commissioner, the team will comprise zonal deputy commissioners, chief finance officer and city engineer.
Officials of the Corporation said `1 crore has been allotted for the development of each ward in the city for 2017-18 financial year and an additional fund of `30 lakh will be provided to each underdeveloped wards.
The civic body has already identified areas like Pahala, Sundarpada and Paikarapur, among others, for developmental works under the additional yearly budget of the Corporation.
The number of Wards under the Corporation has also increased from 60 before the 2014 Municipal elections to 67 now. The seven new Wards have several villages where street lights, solid waste management and drains are yet to come up.
BMC has also asked the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) to construct drains near Iskcon Temple and Acharya Vihar.The two places face severe waterlogging after rains disrupting communication. In case NHAI officials do not construct the drains, the Corporation will take up the task, BMC officials said.