BERHAMPUR: The long-standing demand for municipality status to Bhanjanagar, Aska and Chhatrapur Notified Area Councils (NAC) received a boost as the matter has now reached the Odisha High Court.
A writ petition was filed in the High Court by Bharatiya Vikas Parishad, a social organisation in this regard on June 3, challenging inaction and callousness of the State Government in according municipality status to the three NACs.
The writ petition was admitted by a division bench comprising Justice Sanju Panda and Justice Pramod Pattnaik on Tuesday and a notice issued to the opposite parties. The bench posted the next hearing on the matter to June 25.
The petition states that each NAC, as per the 2011 Census, has the population needed for a Municipality.
Bhanjanagar is a historical town while Aska is known for having the oldest sugar factory of the State. Similarly, Chhatrapur has important offices like Collectorate, Ganjam SP and others.
President of the body Surendra Panigrahi said, due to delay in according municipality status to the three NACs, residents of nearby villages have remained deprived of facilities like drinking water, health care, road, street lights and primary education.
Panigrahi said, a memorandum was submitted in this regard to the Chief Secretary, Secretary, Urban Development department, RDC Southern division, Collector and Sub-Collectors of the NACs.
All these officials have been made opposition parties in the petition.