Ruckus at CMC council meeting: CMC Mayor shown black flag

Several BJP corporators created a ruckus at the Cuttack Municipal Corporation (CMC) council meeting on Tuesday by barging into the meeting room and showing black flags to CMC Mayor Subhash Singh. 

The BJP corporators also staged protests raising various issues prevailing in the CMC area.

As per reports, the CMC council meeting was held for discussions related to the upcoming Durga Puja. However, the BJP corporators entered the meeting room and drew the attention of Mayor Singh and described the plight of their respective wards. 

Moreover, the corporators also targeted the Mayor as the decisions on different development works for various wards taken in previous meetings have not been implemented yet. Additionally, the issues in different wards still persist. 

Further, the corporators also alleged that the development works for different wards under CMC have been allotted on a contractual basis within the party (BJD). 

Raising all such issues, the BJP corporators entered the centre of the meeting room and showed black flags to the Mayor and staged a protest.

"We have raised the issues multiple times at every council meeting and demanded resolution of those. However, the demands fell on deaf ears. They just pretend to be serious towards issues. They are just focused on completing certain works ahead of Durga Puja to gain the public's admiration," alleged a BJP corporator.

Though Singh tried to pacify the corporators, they were stubborn over their demands of resolving various issues.

"As per democratic rights, everyone has the right to come up with their issues and raise their voice if their demands are not fulfilled. We should not consider it a ruckus. Work will speak. Everyone is well aware of what all the authorities and elected corporators are doing," said Singh.

Further, he went on to add, "The newly-elected governing body of CMC is working for public welfare day and night. We are giving our best efforts to address the road issues and other issues related to the JICA project."

On the other hand, BJD corporators raised voices at the meeting over a viral audio clip that recorded a conversation between corporator of Ward No- 46 and a government employee. 

As heard from the viral audio, corporator Pralaya Behera allegedly got engaged in banter with Sanitary Inspector over the salary dispense of an employee in the ward.

At the meeting, the BJD corporators demanded to take action against the Sanitary Inspector holding him responsible for making the audio viral. Later, Mayor Singh assured the corporators to take necessary action against the Sanitary Inspector.

Reacting to the viral audio, Corporator Behera said, "The conversation should not have gone viral. The Sanitary Inspector has already apologised but moulding it politically, Opposition corporators have presented it in a different way."