Barabati-Cuttack MLA to boycott Netaji Bus terminal inauguration. Here’s why

Cuttack: Barabati-Cuttack MLA Mohammed Moquim will skip the much-awaited Netaji Bus terminal inauguration programme here today.

Speaking to media persons today, the Congress leader said that he will not attend the government programme to be attended by Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik as not a single development project in Cuttack has been completed and victims have not been rehabilitated.

“Neither the interest of Cuttack people has been met nor have they received benefits from the project. People from outside states were hired for the construction work. Even the local vendors have not been appointed to run their shops at the new bus terminal. The government is inaugurating the bus terminal by ignoring residents of Cuttack city,” Moquim said in a press meet today.

Expressing his shock over the kind of arrangements by the administration for the visit of the CM for the inauguration of Netaji Bus Terminal at Khan Nagar, Moquim said, “We have never seen such arrangements even for the President of India and Governor. The way the administration is tightening the security by building barricades for the CM, we had never seen during former CMs late Janaki Ballabh Patnaik and late Biju Patnaik. Why the administration is so scared? They are doing this to keep the CM away from public.”

He said that the revolution is brewing in minds of Cuttack people since a long time for their rights.

“The government took people’s land, their roads, evicted them for the project. In return, they were prevented from getting work. The new bus terminal was constructed in heart of the city, not a single local contractor was approached for the mega project. The contract was assigned to people belonging of other states especially Tamil Nadu. Even after completion of the project, outside people are outsourced who will recruit jobs for others here in the city,” Moquim said.

“Thirdly, the construction work of the bus terminal is incomplete. There is no arrangement for entry and exit of buses at the terminal, there is no traffic arrangement. The administration is planning to shift all the bus stands to the new terminal. Same misarrangements are also seen in Taladanda Canal development project and students of Ravenshaw University are yet to have their session at new campus, whose construction work is still underway. As the terminal project is incomplete, why the CM will inaugurate it so hurriedly?” he asked.