Khordha Municipality ‘wastes’ public money as vending zone, open-air gym gathers dust

Many projects undertaken by the Khordha Municipality have allegedly turned out to be utter waste of tax-payers’ money, particularly the under-construction vending zone and open-air gym in Khordha town.

Traffic situation in Khordha town has become a nightmare for commuters because of unabated mushrooming of street vendors. Areas like Bank Chowk, Marwadi Patti, New Bus Stand Square, and Traffic Chowk in the city are facing traffic problems because of hundreds of such traders. Keeping that in mind, the civic body started construction of a vending zone near TLC in a bid to rehabilitate those traders.

However, the construction work could not move and was stalled for some reason. Many days of sun and rain have now made the iron bars and angles of the structure rusty rendering them unusable.

“It is really unfortunate that the vending zone is on a verge of collapse even before allotment to traders. The Municipality should immediately finish its construction and rehabilitate street vendors there,” said a local Ramshankar.

A similar kind of situation can be seen at the open-air gym built at the BJB High School playground in Khordha town. As per reports, the municipal council inaugurated the gym in 2018 and soon turned a blind eye to its maintenance. As a result, the gym equipment broke and is now unusable.

It is alleged that not only this one, but the open-air gyms that have been constructed at many other places in Khordha district too are not being maintained as well.

“Open-air gyms were set up at many places in Khordha. The gym particularly at the BJB High School ground was inaugurated by MP Dilip Tirkey. But the condition of the gym equipment have gone from bad to worse in just a few years without maintenance,” alleged a Khordha local Basanta Kumar Das.

Khordha town’s first park, Shaheed Park is a testament to government neglect and wastage of public money. The park in front of the Town Hal has been closed for years.

Asked about the alleged neglect, the Executive Officer of Khordha Municipality, Rizwana Kawkab said, “The Shaheed Park has been closed because it created traffic problems in front of the Town Hall. We are planning to turn half of the park into a parking lot. The park’s beautification is under consideration under MUKTA scheme.”