BHUBANESWAR : As the Western Odisha Development Council (WODC) has virtually been only a signboard during its 22 years of existence, a demand is growing for an autonomous council with more power and funds to execute development works in the region.
The council had started in 1999 with a budget of Rs 3 crore which has been increased to Rs 200 crore by Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik for 2020-21.
In the initial years, the council had announced to set up a medical college at Balangir, an agriculture college in Kalahandi and a technical institution in Sundargarh district. But these projects have failed to take off due to shortage of funds.
Though WODC has one fourth population of the entire State and one third geographical area, an allocation of Rs 200 crore has disappointed the people of the region as well as the political leaders who had fought for its creation at a time when the State Budget has reached Rs 1,70,000 crore.
A project of the council never crosses Rs 8 lakh to Rs 10 lakh. The work orders are generally placed with the block offices, which is main reason behind the delay in execution and large-scale corruption.
Besides delay in shifting of the headquarters to the council area, the WODC has not been filled up with specialist members and people’s representatives of the area.
The WODC Act-2000 says that its headquarters will be fixed in the council area. The headquarters will be set up by the government in consultation with the council, the Act states.
But there is no initiative in this regard by the government.
Planning and Coordination Minister Padmanabha Behera said the decision on the headquarters is hanging fire as the council has not taken a view on this.
The government is waiting for the decision of the council, he said and added that offices have been opened in all the districts.
The council comprises 10 districts and a sub-division.
However, Congress leader Narasingh Mishra, the first chairman of the council, said from the very beginning, there was a demand for an autonomous council in line with Darjeeling. But the State government has ignored the idea so far, he added.
Alleging that the WODC has become a den of corruption, he referred to the 2018 report of the CAG which had raised questions on its continuance in the present form.