Congress gheraoes CMC office over waterlogging

Cuttack: Hundreds of Congress activists led by the party's Cuttack city president Mohammed Moquim today staged dharna and gheraoed the Cuttack Municipal Corporation (CMC) office over alleged financial irregularities and waterlogging in the city.

The Congress members demanded immediate intervention to address the poor drainage system in the city. The agitators rued that CMC Commissioner Bikash Ranjan Mohapatra was residing in Bhubaneswar indifferent about the waterlogging problems that Cuttack is facing. They also sought resignation of the CMC Mayor Meenakshi Behera holding her responsible for the mess.

"We demand disbursal of compensation to residents whose houses were submerged in drain water during last rain. Why should the people suffer due to the fault of CMC? We also oppose the financial irregularities at the CMC and demand transparency in tendering process. Municipal council's emergency meeting should be convened at the earliest. Otherwise the Congress will oppose the ministers' entry into the city on August 31 for observance of  Self Governance Day," Moquim said.

A scuffle also ensued between the Congress activists and police as the cops were trying to disperse the protestors in front of the CMC office.