CUTTACK: Even as the sanitation committee constituted by the Cuttack Municipal Corporation (CMC) has submitted report on the progress of desilting work in the city, the deadline of which was April 30, local corporators alleged it is a mere eyewash.
As per sources, the corporation had constituted the sanitation committee after drawing flak from the local residents for its failure to clear waterlogging following a heavy downpour on April 15. Locals had alleged the situation worsened because of clogged drains.
To review the desilting work in the city which was being handled by three manpower agencies, the CMC constituted the sanitation committee comprising two executive engineers, junior engineers, ward officer and sanitary inspectors, and asked them to submit the report by April 30.
Though the committee submitted the report by the scheduled deadline, local corporators, unconvinced by the findings, alleged it was submitted without proper verification or inspection.
“It is ridiculous that the civic body wanted a report on the progress of drain desilting work only before the onset of monsoon. As per the terms and conditions of the tender, the three outsourcing agencies should conduct desilting operations twice a month. But, the agencies are not cleaning the drains even once in six months. Constituting a committee and seeking report on progress of drain desilting work is nothing but to show undue favour and safeguard the three agencies under the guise of taking action against them,” alleged corporator of ward no 26, Gagan Ojha.
CMC mayor Subhas Singh admitted the report clearly points towards the negligence of the outsourcing agencies in carrying out the desilting work.
“As per the report, 30 to 40 drains are yet to be desilted and cleaned. The CMC will carry out the desilting works of these drains in cooperation with the local corporators and steps will be taken to deduct the cost of expenditure incurred towards cleaning the left-out drains while passing the bills for payment to the three agencies,” he said.