Ask VSS Nagar residents of capital

Before 37 years, the Odisha State Housing Board constructed a colony behind the Utkal University, which is also between the areas of the Sainika School and Mancheswar Industrial Estate. Nearly 3,000 families (about 15,000 people) are staying in this locality, called VSS Nagar. Several problems plague this area, the important ones being lack of road connectivity, railway over-bridge construction, police outpost, medical facility and drainage system.

The main problem is the road connection to the rest of the capital city. VSS Nagar inhabitants were using the private road of Vani Vihar to go to other parts of the city and the Mancheswar Industrial Estate road to return from Rasulgarh. The industrial estate and Vani Vihar roads are now not available due to closure of the railway gate and Vani Vihar gate. Four month ago when the NH-5 over-bridge was under construction, VSS Nagar was cut off from the rest of Bhubaneswar. We, the representative of the VSS Nagar discussed the issue with the Commissioner of Police and the NHAI Regional Officer and found a solution that the NHAI would open an underpass from VSS Nagar to Sahid Nagar within three months, and till then the Commissioner of Police allowed a temporary six-foot road form the Satsang Temple to Vani Vihar Square.

The three-month deadline was completed on August 1 and the promise underpass could not be completed. And the Commissioner of Police closed the temporary road. Now, the NHAI says the PHD people are not cooperating in transferring the drinking water pipeline, for which the underpass cannot open. Not only the VSS Nagar residents but also those of about 15 villages and slumps depend on this road. Another road from VSS Nagar via laxmi Vihar was existent, but some antisocials are now using this land illegally. The proposed railway over-bridge work is also stalled due to the same problem.

At VSS Nagar, a police outpost was working in a rented house, but later due to house problem it is now working in the Sahid Nagar police station since last 18 months. If a police outpost works in a police station, it is of little use.

VSS Nagar inhabitants have been demanding a dispensary for last 15 years. The GA Department allotted land for this, but the Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation (BMC) has failed to build a boundary wall till date. The drainage and other sanitation facilities are very poor, to say the least, thanks to the skills of the engineers engaged. Mosquito oil and smoke are not applied in this area. Rainwater and waste waters flow on the locality roads. Some Government lands and roads are illegally used by the inhabitants.

We have been visiting different Government officers and representatives of people seeking solutions to these problems. They are sympathetic towards us, and we, for the time being, feel that the powers of the municipalities are in the hands of people, for which we observe August 31 as the local Self Governance Day. But the reality is the power is in the hands of some politicians, some Government officers and some contractors. If the situation in an educated colony in the very capital city and in a Municipality Corporation is like this then what are the fates of inhabitants of a Municipality and Notified Area Council of other townsIJ

(The writer is the general secretary of Veer Surendra Sai Nagar Unnayan Parisad)