The election for the Rourkela Municipal Corporation (RMC) is due since September 2013. But the Government has not taken steps to hold the poll to the ULB.
Due to unavailability of elected representatives, many development works are not only hampered rather on many occasions the denizens of the RMC area are deprived of the minimum basic amenities to be provided by the ULB.
When they go with their grievances to the RMC either they were not properly treated or the concerned officials were not found in seat. So now the question is will the newly-elected BJD Government take any step to conduct election in the RMC?
It may be noted here that the erstwhile Rourkela Municipality council was under BJD control between 2008 and 2013 and many development works were undertaken within the municipality area. But due to the differences among certain party leaders, BJD position in Rourkela was in sinking stage.
Despite this the notification of ULBs election in the State was published in September 2013. But due to the acute resentment and opposition by the lawyers’ forum, the election process in entire western Odisha has to be postponed and that was conducive for Rourkela BJD.
Though later in November 2013, the notification for ULBs election in western Odisha was published but Rourkela was not there as the State Government had already expressed its intention to upgrade Rourkela Municipality to a Corporation and had sought opinion from the public about its area.
So there was a perception at that time that after formation of RMC the election will be held. In the meantime in 2014 Assembly election, BJD candidate Sarada Prasad Nayak lost the Rourkela seat (under which RMC area comes) to BJP candidate Dilip Ray despite all out efforts by the BJD and its supremo Naveen Patnaik. And in November 14, 2014 the State Government notified the area of RMC having 40 wards merging Jagda and Jhartarangpanchayats, which was opposed by the local tribals under the leadership of George Tikey. And finally the tribal organisation filed a case in the Orissa High Court and the court on March 27, 2016 gave a stay not to include those two panchayats in election process.
Since then the State Government is not taking any initiative to conduct the election in the pretext of stay order and at the same time is not submitting any reply to vacate the stay. Many experts say if the State Government shows interest to conduct the election, then it could hold the same keeping those two panhayatsoutside till the final decision of the court and merging other areas which are interested to be included in THE RMC area.
But as the BJD’s position in Rourkela was poor due to the influence of the BJP and Dilip Ray, the Government was not interested for election for fear of defeat of ruling party. However now, the situation has changed.