Other States - Orissa   

BDA to take up maintenance of streetlights

BERHAMPUR: The Berhampur Development Authority (BDA) on Saturday decided to take charge of the maintenance of street lights by the Berhampur-Gopalpur road.

Earlier the Berhampur municipality was to maintain 154 lights over 12 km stretch of road that connects the Gopalpur Beach Resort in the city. These lights along with light posts were installed with funds provided by the Berhampur MP and Union Minister for Rural Development Chandrasekhar Sahu from the MPLAD funds. But the municipality failed to maintain them. As per the reports, out of 154 lights, as many as 148 have been found out of use.

The Ganjam district Congress threatened to protest against this callousness towards maintenance of lights on the road by begging at Gopalpur beach and the city to collect funds for their maintenance.

BDA Chairperson Sarat Ranjan Patnaik had to convene a meeting on Saturday to settle the matter. At this meeting the executive officer of the municipality denied to take charge of maintenance of these lights with the plea that they were outside the municipality limits.

Left with no other alternative the BDA Chairman decided that the BDA would take up the maintenance of these lights as they are related to tourism prospects of Gopalpur. Mr Patnaik said BDA would call for a tender for annual maintenance of the lights through private agency as the BDA is not having its own infrastructure.

Few months back electricity supply to these lights had been disrupted due to non-payment of bills.

Although BDA had to pay up the bills, the Power Distribution Company was sending the bills to the Berhampur Municipality. However, the problem has been sorted out and the electricity bills are being sent to the BDA since last month.

Printer friendly page  
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Stories in this Section

Little scientist shows how to generate vibrations
‘Terrific Trio’ launched
15 BPUT students held, freed
Akademi celebrations turn into a flop show
Meet held on land acquisition
NABARD to finance Ghatakeswar project
Medico’s suicide in Cuttack triggers row
BDA to take up maintenance of streetlights
Rain toll mounts to 22 in State
CPI(M) comes down heavily on State

Copyright © 2007, The Hindu. Republication or redissemination of the contents of this screen are expressly prohibited without the written consent of The Hindu