The Odisha Human Rights Commission (OHRC) has directed Central Electric Supply Utility (CESU) to take appropriate steps to supply power so that drinking water supply to the residents of a colony in Bhubaneswar could be resumed.
Acting on two related complaints, the Commission has also issued notice to the CESU Chief Executive Officer to file a report in the matter within four weeks.
Rights activist and petitioner Akhand alleged that the residents of Metro Satellite City Phase II near Puri Canal Road in Hanspal are facing traumatic experience without water supply since last December 31 due to callousness of CESU officials.
He also sought Commission’s intervention for immediate water supply to the colony.
The petitioner stated that water supply and other maintenance works of the colony were being managed by the builder, who also used to collect a monthly fee from the residents.
However, he kept the house owners in dark about some illegal connections inside the premises. When CESU came to know about it, CESU’s Rasulgarh office disconnected the power supply to the pump house on December 31 without any prior notice.
As a result, the water supply in the colony of 158 families came to a halt, said Akhand, who had filled the petition on behalf of residents. One Dr Dillip Kumar Mishra too filed a petition at the commission in this connection.