CUTTACK: The Orissa High Court has expressed serious concern over deteriorating civic conditions in Cuttack city, particularly the lack of street lighting, insufficient police patrolling and absence of CCTV surveillance.
A division bench comprising Justice SK Sahoo and Justice V Narasingh was hearing on Friday, the matter related to public safety and infrastructure gaps in the city. The bench was informed by the members of the advocates’ committee of the High Court Bar Association that many localities remain without functioning street lights, contributing to a rise in criminal activities and posing safety risks to citizens.
During the hearing, DCP Khilari Rishikesh Dnyandeo, appearing virtually, submitted two letters dated May 14, 2025. One was addressed to the vice-chairman of the Cuttack Development Authority (CDA), requesting the installation of CCTV surveillance systems at 191 strategic locations throughout the city.
A second letter also urged the CDA to install electronic traffic signal systems at key points across the city to ensure public safety and smoother vehicular movement. The bench directed the CDA authorities to update the court about the steps taken on these proposals on the next hearing date.
In a significant move, the court also summoned the director, Municipal Administration, to remain present - either physically or virtually - on July 24, 2025, to provide a status update. The Advocate General has also been requested to assist the court in the matter.
In a related development, the bench took note of a vernacular newspaper report highlighting the non-functional street lights on the busy stretch between National Law University (NLU), Cuttack, and Sector-13 in CDA. The advocates’ committee informed the court that such issues are not isolated but prevalent across multiple wards in the city.
“In view of such state of affairs, let the president and secretary of the Orissa High Court Bar Association collect data from the advocates of the respective wards who are in the advocates’ committee regarding functioning of the street lights in their areas and furnish a report to that effect,” the bench ordered, scheduling the next review of the issue for July 31.