Paradip: Paradip, declared as smart port city in 2014, has missed the clean city status and a berth among major clean port cities in the lists announced by the central government some time ago. This year’s clean cities and ports list includes 112 cities and 12 major ports.
People of the port city feel it would never get into the ‘clean city league’ in the coming years if the present trend of negligence continues. They ascribe the failure to lack of cooperation between the port and the state administration. An integrated policy is said to be lacking.
Visakhapatnam port, though lagging far behind Paradip port in terms of earning profits, has secured third rank and first position in ‘clean city’ and ‘major port clean city’ lists respectively.
While Visakhapatnam port registered a profit of Rs 91 crore in 2014-15 fiscal, Paradip port made a whooping Rs 275-crore profit, according to a report. In 2015-16 fiscal, while Visakhapatnam port settled with a profit of Rs 50 crore, the Paradip port’s profit stood at Rs 256 crore.
Despite being a profit-earning port, it has not witnessed any progress in any sphere since 2014 when the smart port city status was conferred on it by the NDA government.
While it is being said that new projects are in the pipeline, the LNG terminal has been shifted to Dhamra. The number of port employees has reportedly scaled down from 7,000 to mere 980.
The locals have raised doubts over proper utilisation of the 2 per cent profit meant for corporate social responsibilities (CSR) activities.
The city has earned a dubious distinction of third most polluted city in Orissa. There is no surprise, as one is likely to find piles of garbage on streets. Swachh Bharat Abhiyan and clean port campaign are going on for namesake. With the first reported dengue death case and 50 per cent of the population still allegedly opting for open defecation, regaining the clean city tag is a pipedream. The work on solid waste treatment plant, started in 2008, has not progressed beyond its boundary wall.
While money is being given to the profit-making educational institutions in Kendrapara and Jagatsinghpur which charge fees, students of 12 government schools in the municipal area here have no proper infrastructure, it is alleged.
Though the number of police stations has increased from one in 2009 to five now, crime rate is high. Traffic problems, poor water management, slum issues, among others, are blotting the copybook. The talk of Paradip port development and the city’s progress seems to be going nowhere. PNN
