CUTTACK: After waiting in vain for two decades for Cuttack Municipal Corporation (CMC) to build a road for them, residents of Jagannath Vihar in Jagatpur took up the task on their own. Fed up with the civic body’s apathy, which did not pay heed to their repeated appeals for a road to their colony, the residents decided to build it themselves by contributing from their own pockets. Over 250 people of 50 families have been residing in Jagannath Vihar, located near Jagatpur IB Square in ward no 48 of CMC for the last 20 years.
However, the locality is connected by a dirt road which becomes unusable during monsoon. The situation worsens when it rains heavily and the road gets submerged under knee-deep water for days. Owing to lack of proper drainage system, the colony was marooned for several days following incessant rains during last week of July this year. The residents said CMC Commissioner Ananya Das and Choudwar-Cuttack MLA Souvik Biswal had visited the colony and assured to construct a concrete road.
“During elections, local political leaders came to us for votes and promised they will build the road but once the polls got over, they simply disappeared. The elected council is no longer in force and Cuttack is being administered by babus now. The so-called efficient babus are no better,” lamented Sidheswar Singh, a local.
Another resident Janardan Mishra said the locals have approached the civic body on numerous occasions to construct a proper road to the colony but in vain. “The CMC authorities turned a deaf ear to us. Left with no other option, we decided to build the road ourselves,” he said.
Around 25 persons including a few senior citizens toiled for five days for constructing the dirt road using construction debris. CMC executive engineer DR Tripathy, who declined to comment on the issue, however said steps would have been taken for construction of the road.