Though flush with funds, various projects of public utility and civic amenities are languishing in nonstarter state in Paradip seaport township jurisdiction. With Paradip Port Trust (PPT) dragging its feet in not according clearance to such projects, urban development grants are lying unspent. If the municipal authorities are to be believed, it has become an annual ritual.With PPT laying claim over the civil township, dispute over land continues to remain unresolved, hindering the infrastructure growth of the bustling port township.
The Paradip urban local body at a recent Council meeting passed a Rs. 45-crore budgetary grant for the year 2012-13 with majority votes while listing out a series of public utility projects. However, there is every possibility that a sizeable chunk of the grants would remain unspent as it has been the trend in the past years.
Last year, the civic body was armed with Rs. 49-crore resources to give a face-lift to urban civic amenities. But the ground reality was that the civic body authorities could hardly put to use Rs. 15 crores of the allocated sums.
“As many as 79 projects are proposed to be undertaken under the budgetary grants. The municipality is expecting cooperation from PPT so that these projects get underway shortly”, said Mr. Manjulata Jena, Chairperson, Paradip municipality.
“Sizeable parts of the municipality come under the administrative control of the Paradip Port Trust. As per major Ports Act of India, nothing would move an inch till the PPT accords the seal of approval to projects. Several projects could not take off in the past few years as PPT refused permission for it in the land owned by it”, stated Mr. Rajedra Prasad Nayak, Executive Officer, Paradip Municipality.
The port township was accorded Notified Area Council status in 1979. Later the fast-growing industrial hub was elevated to the municipality rank in 2002.
“The port administration has its own system for maintenance of road, drainage, sewerage, drinking water supply and electricity. Besides, it is also shouldering the responsibility of restoring civic amenities in the port civil township areas. With PPT holding sway in all respects, the role of municipal administration in urban development is paled into insignificance”, remarked Mr. Basanta Kumar Biswal, Vice-Chairman of Paradip Municipality.
But the root of the problem is that PPT is hit by severe dearth of land for its own infrastructure expansion programme. The unauthorized slum settlements are growing rapidly in and around the port civil township. Majority of them have come up in the unoccupied land. PPT is the custodian of the said encroached land.
“Basic urban amenities like drinking water, electricity, motorable road, sewerage and drainage are conspicuous by absence in most of the slum clusters. We have resources to undertake such public utility projects. But we have failed to take up as the settlements are unlawful”, Mr. Surajit Das, Additional District Magistrate, Paradip, pointed out. The administration has taken up the matter with the PPT so that the municipal body could spend its funds for urban development projects, he added.
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