The Umarkote Congress held a Press meet on Friday evening alleging poor sanitation drive by the civic body
The party alleged that the cleanliness drive in the town is nothing but eyewash as no work has been done on ground. Garbage piling up on the roads and overflowing drains reflect the sorry state of affairs on the sanitation front in Umarkote.
The municipality spends Rs 7.30 lakh per month for sanitation, but it seems only in pen and paper. The organic dumps not only attract flies but also turn into a breeding ground for mosquitoes. Crores of rupees have gone down the drain in the name of improving civic facilities and development as most roads in the town have developed cracks and potholes within six months of being renovated, the Congress leaders alleged further.
The municipal authorities have failed to check the menace of stray cattle on roads, leading to regular traffic jams, especially during peak hours here. As if unauthorised encroachment of pedestrian walkways was not enough, the presence of stray cattle on the roads often poses a problem for commuters as there is hardly any road here that is free of stray cattle. The problem gets compounded during the rainy season as the roads become slippery because of filth caused by these cattle. As there is no service in place to catch cattle, there seems to be no end to the woes of the commuters, they said. They further complainedthat poor people are unable to get the benefit under the Harish Chandra Yojana. Though people constructed latrines in their houses under the Swachh Bharat Mission, they have not received the funds from the civic authority despite paying the illegal gratification of Rs 3,000 to the officials. They demanded stringent action against the erring officials of themunicipality. They also threatened to start an agitation if the problems are not resolved within 15 days.
Among others, Nabarangpur District Congress vice-president Tapan Debnath, secretary Satya Narayan Padhy and Umarkote Town Congress president Tulu Sahu were present.