During his second visit to Rourkela after the court verdict on the coal scam, former Union Minister and former Rourkela MLA Dilip Ray during interaction with scribes urged for an early election to the Rourkela Municipal Corporation (RMC).
While welcoming the decision of the State Government to set up the country’s largest Hockey Stadium at Rourkela, he said it was essential as a number of matches of Hockey World Cup-2023 were to be held here. Besides many international hockey players in both men’s and women’s team are produced from Sundargarh district and adjacent localities. Sundargarh is the cradle of Hockey, he said. But to host an international sports event the other infrastructure development is required. So the highest priority is to ready an airport for the regular flying of commercial flight. Ray said he had been fighting for the airport since last one decade and urged the Odisha CM to take appropriate steps in this regard soon.
Besides airport, the other requirement is accommodation for the players which is not available in Rourkela. So, the players are to be accommodated at Bhubaneswar and fly to here for matches.
Similarly, the city should look smart as an international event will be held here, Ray told. That is why many developmental works need to be undertaken in a time bound period in the Rourkela town. These works need to be expedited under the various projects of Smart City. All these are possible when Rourkela Municipal Corporation will have an elected body of corporators, he asserted. Notably, Union Government had declared Rourkela as a Smart City in September 2016 and huge sanctions were provided ever since. But unfortunately, 20 percent of the sanctioned amount has not yet ben spent and the city looks worse than that of during 2016.
As there is no elected body in Rourkela Municipal Corporation since 2013 no one is taking accountability for development of city, Ray opined. So, in view of World Cup Hockey two things are to be taken care of sincerely i.e. flying of commercial flight to Rourkela and early election in Rourkela Municipal Corporation, he told. He also condemned attack on working journalists in different parts of the country.