Bandh disrupts normal life in Odisha’s Millennium city
Odisha Sun Times Bureau
Cuttack, Aug 3:
Normal life was disrupted in Odisha’s millennium city Cuttack following a 12-hour dawn-to-dusk bandh call by 20 organisations including Cuttack Banchao Committee, Cuttack Banchao Andolan Committee and Aam Admi Party demanding inclusion of Cuttack in the Smart City scheme.
Reports said the agitators blocked the roads in major thoroughfares in Raja Bagicha, College Square, Badambadi, Link Road and Madhupatna Square by burning tyres.
While all trading and business establishments, educational institutions remained, barring two-wheelers and rickshaws, there was no plying of other vehicles including buses and auto-rickshaws in the city.
Lawyers of High Court Bar Association have also extended their support to the bandh call.
“The 1000-year-old historic city and the centre of culture has been thoroughly neglected and ignored. This Millennium city does not beg for smart city status as it deserves and has the right to become a smart city,” convenor of Cuttack Banchao Committee Subrat Lenka told the media today.
Sources said the AAP has refrained from the economic blockade in the city and decided to stage hartal in front of its office.
Cuttack is neglected by the state and central government. Cuttack is the power house of India when the Ganga kings were in power, the old capital city of Orissa is situated between beautiful rivers Mahanadi and Kathjori and Birupa needs to be recognized and given priority of smart city status. This city houses Orissa High Court, SCB Medical College, Sisu Bhaban, Ravenshaw University, Shailabala Women’s college, National Law University, famous Barabati Stadium, Odisha Police Head Quarter and birth place of Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose, Biju Patnaik. There should be twin city (Cuttack, Bhubaneswar) smart city proposal. I am also proposing people of Cuttack demand a branch of Indian Institute of Science (Banglore) should be setup in Cuttack, promote SBC Medical College to University status with all kinds of health related research better than AIIM should be like John Hopkin, USA, Promote Shailabala to world class women’s university containing all kind of researches and promote Orissa Engineering School to premier full fledged engineering institute better than IIT with all kind of engineer departments and research. This city should have better sewer systems, wide roads and boulevards, shopping malls and beautiful river side parks and exercise facilities, beltway road surrounding the city from choudwar, Naraj to Bidyadharpur. River side road and canal raod to be upgrade to 4, 4 lanes wide roads with concrete paving and mono train running different parts of city to surrounding towns. Every where city should have side walk. Redesign of medical road with side walk. Inside medical campus needs upgrade with side walk, parking, cleanliness. I can guide what to be done to make Cuttack to be very attractive. Demand for Indian Institute of Science (Bangalore), SCB Medical University and others.