The Orissa High Court has strongly criticized the Cuttack Municipal Corporation (CMC) and the Cuttack Development Authority (CDA) for the poor condition of parks in the city. Observing that the report submitted by the civic agencies was “in stark contrast to reality,” the court expressed its displeasure during a hearing on May 21.
Background of the Case
The special bench of Justices K R Mohapatra and V Narasingh was hearing an ongoing Public Interest Litigation (PIL) concerning multiple civic issues in Cuttack. The bench was assisted by an advocates’ committee headed by the president and secretary of the High Court Bar Association (HCBA). The issue of park maintenance had first come under judicial scrutiny on April 23 after HCBA member Satyabrata Mohanty brought it before the bench. The court had then directed the CMC and CDA to submit reports on the condition of parks and available civic amenities.
Hearing on May 21
During the hearing, officials including CMC city engineer Atanu Kumar Samanta, additional commissioner Sona Tudu, assistant commissioner (park and plantation) Suma Jena, and CDA representatives appeared before the court. Additional government advocate Debasis Nayak submitted a compliance report prepared by the CMC’s park and plantation wing. However, the bench found glaring deficiencies in the maintenance of parks across the city.
The court noted, “Basic facilities like drinking water and clean toilets are not provided in the parks maintained by the CMC and CDA.” Expressing dissatisfaction, the bench remarked that the authorities’ “lackadaisical attitude” compelled the court to refer to Mark Twain’s famous quote: “There are lies, damned lies and statistics.”
Court Directives
The court directed the CMC to file a fresh compliance affidavit by July 13. The advocates’ committee has been asked to verify the claims made in the affidavit and submit its response by July 20 after serving copies to the CMC counsel.
According to official records, there are 52 parks within the CMC jurisdiction. Of these, 46 are directly maintained by the CMC, four by the CDA, and two are managed under a public-private partnership model.
Specific Concerns and Assurances
The court also took note of complaints regarding Biju Pattanaik Park, where sanitation and lighting arrangements were stated to be inadequate. The CMC’s city engineer assured the court that he would personally supervise the installation of drinking water facilities in all CMC-maintained parks and ensure cleanliness of washrooms. He also assured that immediate steps would be taken to improve sanitation and lighting at Biju Pattanaik Park.
About the Author
Lalmohan Patnaik is a seasoned journalist based in Cuttack, with over three decades of experience, primarily as a correspondent for many prominent English dailies. He covers mainly legal issues.
