Jharsuguda:�Congress councillors of Jharsuguda Municipality have opposed the resolution passed regarding the lease of Municipality Hoarding and Daily Market in Jharsuguda.
As per the sources, on 7th�June, in a council meeting held at Jharsuguda Municipality, BJD Councillors had passed a resolution regarding the lease of Hoarding and Daily Market of Jharsuguda Municipality. In this resolution, it was decided to award the lease to the same contractor as last year with a hike of 30%. In this regard, the Congress Councillor present in that meeting had protested over it.
They had even raised a questioned that, Last year, the lease was awarded at Rs. 1.85 Lakhs for Hoarding and Daily Market lease was given at Rs. 1.40 Lakhs but this time, it has been raised only 30%.
Jharsuguda Congress councillor Benugopal Panigrahi along with other congress councillors and the senior leader of Jharsuguda Dist. Congress present have raised questions about the lease and said that why BJD has been favoring the same contractor with a hike of only 30% and questioned why open tender is been not done in this matter?
�BJD councillors have been opposing those things in which Jharsuguda Municipality would get maximum revenue. By calling an open tender, Jharsuguda Municipality would be benefitted in getting maximum revenue. The decision of having an increase of 20% to 30% would not benefit the municipality.
We have even written to the Dist. Administration and have asked to recommend Govt. of Odisha to cancel this resolution and we are hopeful that even Govt. will take appropriate steps in this. But, if this resolution is not cancelled then we would come on streets and protest over it.� Said by Benugopal Panigraphi, Congress councillor of Ward no. 5
Harish Ganatra, BJD Chairman of Jharsuguda Municipality has disagreed the allegation put by the Congress councillors and said that, �No irregularities has been done, On 7th�June council meeting, both BJD and Congress councillors were present and as there are 14 BJD councillor the majority had decided to hike the amount of lease of Hoarding and Daily Market by 30% , as the tender period had been already been over due to recent elections code of conduct . The lease amount for Hoarding last year was given at Rs. 2.15 Lakhs and not 1.85 Lakhs.�
