There is strong resentment in different quarters here as the steel city was deprived of a Municipal Corporation status while the State Government decided to give such a tag to Sambalpur.
Hundreds of Congress activists staged a road blockade at the busy STI Square here recently demanding immediate announcement of corporation status to the Rourkela Municipality.
The BJP has handed over a memorandum to Rourkela ADM addressed to the Governor demanding corporation status for Rourkela. The BJP’s memorandum pointed out that the Rourkela Municipality has a population of about 2.72 lakh and with that of the neighbouring areas like western Rourkela and luhakera the total population is about to 3.2 lakh, which justifies corporation status. The CPI(M) has also made a similar demand.
In fact, if the 2011 Census is taken into consideration, the Rourkela municipal area’s population of 2.72 lakh is far more than that of Sambalpur’s 1.84 lakh. And when Rourkela’s outgrowth area is taken into account, its population amounts to 3.2 lakh, exceeding the mandatory requirement of 3 lakh for corporation status. The population of industrial township and its vicinity has been counted at 2.16 lakh, making total population of Rourkela urban area 5.52 lakh, which is the third most populated after Bhubaneswar (8.4 lakh) and Cuttack (6.1 lakh).
In case of Sambalpur, if its peripheral area is considered, its population is 1.89 lakh. After the Government has clubbed Sambalpur with its neighbouring towns of Hirakud and Burla and 12 panchayats, its population touches 3.12 lakh. “It is no secret that Rourkela has been the third major city of the State and, therefore, deserves corporation status,” said District Congress president Nihar Ray.
“The people of Rourkela have been demanding ever since the Bhubaneswar and Cuttack municipalities were given the corporation status in 1994,” he said. Brahmapur was also given the corporation status in 2008 and now Sambalpur has been accorded the same status,” Ray said. “Although we do not oppose the corporation status to Sambalpur and Brahmapur, we strongly condemn the fact that the interest of Rourkela has been ignored by the Government,” he added.
“If the Govt does not consider the case of Rourkela, we will launch an indefinite agitation to press our demand,” said Rourkela BJP president Dhiren Senapati.