The Cuttack city district unit of the Congress has decided to launch a 45-day-long Jagaran Yatra in the city from Sunday. The yatra would cover all the 59 wards of the city.
Speaking to reporters here, the party’s city unit chief Md Moquim said the yatra aims at highlighting “the all-round failure” of the BJD-ruled council of the Cuttack Municipal Corporation (CMC) and the “step-motherly attitude” of the BJD Government towards the Millennium City.
“During the course of our yatra, we will oppose visit of Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik to the city for his highly indifferent attitude towards the problems of the city,” Moquim said. The Chief Minister’s last election promises for the city to have five flyovers and better drainage and sewerage facilities were nothing but political gimmicks, he said, adding that city has been severely neglected ever since Patnaik came to power.
Raking up an emotional issue close to the heart of Cuttack residents, Moquim said it was during Naveen Patnaik and his father Biju Patnaik’s tenures that attempts have been made to belittle the image of Cuttack by initiating moves to shift the principal seat of the Odisha High Court from here or to have permanent Benches of the HC elsewhere.
Moquim said the BJD has deeply hurt the feelings of the Cuttack people and sullied this great city’s image as some BJD corporators are accused of looting relief materials during the cyclone last month. “In the name of a Vigilance inquiry, the Government is now making all efforts to shield the tainted BJD corporators, including the Mayor, and the ruling party MlAs of the city, who have painted their faces black by looting relief materials meant for poor and affected people,” Moquim said, adding that the Congress would continue to agitate till the relief looters are arrested.