Youth Congress stages demonstration

CUTTACK: Even as there has been a marked deterioration in road infrastructure and sanitation here of late, the Congress on Tuesday took to the streets alleging a “total collapse of civic machinery”. More than 100 activists of the Cuttack Lok Sabha Youth Congress Committee led by president Santosh Bhol and State Youth Congress secretary Satyananda Rout staged a demonstration in front of the Cuttack Municipal Corporation (CMC) office demanding immediate action to improve the situation. They have warned of intensifying their agitation to block all entry and exit routes of Cuttack if no visible measures were taken in 15 days. In a memorandum submitted to the Commissioner and the Mayor, the Youth Congress demanded a review of the outsourcing of sanitation and cleaning operations in the city. The mechanised sweeping of roads, door-to-door collection of garbage, mechanised drain cleaning, solid waste disposal have all proved to be flukes with the private agency entrusted with the job failing on fall fronts, Bhol alleged. While the condition of roads in most parts of the city has gone worse due to lack of repair and maintenance, the sanitation operations have almost come to a standstill. In many wards door-to-door collection has been stopped while the garbage dumps are also not being cleared regularly. To add to the problems, the mosquito menace in the city has assumed alarming proportions, though temperature has begun to rise. It is the fallout of absence of sanitation and drain cleaning, Rout added. The youth wing has also demanded repair of tube-wells and provisioning of water taps  to ensure drinking water supply to all pockets of the city.