Berhampur to free National Highway 217 of hoardings

BERHAMPUR: The National Highway 217 passing through Berhampur may soon be free of hoardings. The district administration has ordered officials concerned to remove the hoardings from either side of the 12-km stretch of NH passing through the town. "We have asked the officers of the NH, police, revenue and Berhampur Municipal Corporation (BMC) to pull out the hoardings from either sides of the NH 217 for the free movement of the vehicles," said Ganjam collector Krishan Kumar. The big hoardings, which illegally mushroomed along the footpaths, have been causing a lot of traffic problems in the town with residents urging the district administration to solve the problem for quite some time. The issue was discussed at a meeting on the development of Berhampur town held here on Thursday evening. The meeting, presided over by the district collector, was attended by officials of Berhampur Municipal Corporation (BMC) and Berhampur Development Authority (BDA), besides MLAs from Berhampur and Gopalpur. The district collector also asked BDA officials to conduct a survey to identify open spaces in town and to rid them of encroachment. Some of the open spaces can be utilized for parking vehicles and some of them would be developed as green-belt with plantation and parks, the collector said. Around 150 open plots in the town, reserved by the BDA in different places, have vanished due to the encroachments, he pointed out. The administration also asked the BDA to crack down on buildings which diverted their open or parking spaces for other purposes. The violators would be punished, the collector warned.

Source: Times of India

Demand for Greater Berhampur Municipal Corporation grows louder

The Ganjam Zilla Bikash Manch (GZBM) has asked the State government to merge the villages on the periphery of Berhampur with the Berhampur Municipal Corporation (BMC) before the panchayat elections scheduled to be held next year. Activists of the philanthropic organisation have threatened to launch a peaceful agitation in front of the office of the Revenue Divisional Commissioner (RDC), southern division in the city, from January 20, if the State government failed to take up any decision by the time. The GZBM has sent a memorandum to the Chief Minister regarding their demand. March president Siba Prasad Mishra has said it is quite regrettable that even after almost three years after upgradation of city municipality into a corporation, the BMC is yet to have the complete proposed area under it. On January 1, 2009, the State government declared Berhampur the third municipal corporation of Orissa. It was termed a new year's gift for the inhabitants of the city. The government gazette notification for the purpose had proposed that the area of the BMC was to be increased. As per the proposal, 26 villages of 14 panchayats on suburbs of the city were to be included under the BMC. Inclusion of these villages in the BMC was thought to become a major catalyst in the planned development of this major urban centre of south Orissa.  

But till now no concrete steps have been initiated for inclusion of these village in the BMC. Meanwhile, groundwork for the panchayat polls in these villages is under way as they are still part of different revenue blocks around the city. The local elected bodies of these panchayats have not received any communiqué regarding their proposed inclusion in the BMC. It may be noted that in 1971, Gosaninuagaon village was included in the city limits. In 1984 Ambapua village became its part. But, for past 27 years the municipal limits of Berhampur has not been raised while its population has risen four-fold during this period. 

Sources: The Hindu, The Sambad

Following is the notification of the State Government on merger of 26 villages with Berhampur Municipal Corporation, which remains to be implemented 

Source: Government of Odisha Gazette

Anti-encroachment drive in Berhampur city

Survey for new bypass is completed, says BDA secretary

Administration initiated anti-encroachment drive on April 18 to alleviate traffic congestion on the stretch of NH 217 that passes through Berhampur city.

Encroachments on both sides of highway were removed amidst police cover near Kamapalli square. Encroachments would also be removed from government land for the construction of bypass road aimed at reducing the traffic congestion on the NH 217 near Gate Bazar square. Encroachment of a major road by a vegetable market near Kamapalli square is to be removed soon, officials said. This vegetable market is choking the road leading to a major overbridge in the Kamapalli area.  Read full story............... Link.............

http://www.hindu.com/2010/04/19/stories/2010041951250300.htm,

Source: The Hindu