State neglect halts Greater Berhampur dream

Barracks Stadium, Berhampur

Berhampur: The process to form Greater Berhampur consisting of Berhampur, Gopalpur, Chatrapur urban areas and 139 adjoining villages is moving at a snail’s place because of the absence of a comprehensive development plan. On January 1, 2009, the state government declared Berhampur the third municipal corporation of Odisha and the gazette notification had proposed increase of the Berhampur Municipal Corporation jurisdiction. “The corporation has no role to play for the increase of its area. The state government must take initiatives,” said commissioner of the civic body Akshya Kumar Mahanty.  Ramesh Chandra Chau Patnaik, local BJD MLA, said the proposal was under consideration and “Greater Berhampur will be beneficial to the people and a political boost is needed to implement the proposal”.  “Preparation of the plan is necessary for development of the proposed Greater Berhampur,” said Kailash Rana, chairman of the Berhampur Development Area.  The Town and Country Planning Organisation, the technical advisory body of the Union urban development ministry, is preparing the plan with the help of the Odisha remote sensing application centre, town planning department of the state government and the Berhampur Development Area. “The advisory body called the vice-chairman and planning member of the Berhampur Development Area to New Delhi to discuss about the plan this month and we expect that it would be ready soon,” Rana said. The plan preparation would cost around Rs 1,09,75,000. Sukanti Sahu, zilla parishad member and former chairman of the Nimakhandi panchayat, said though three years had gone, the elected panchayat bodies, which were to be included in Greater Berhampur, had not received any communiqué regarding their proposed inclusion in the Berhampur Municipal Corporation.

Source: The Telegraph