Assailing the Cuttack Municipal Corporation (CMC) for furnishing misleading statement to the Court on issues pertaining to lack of civil amenities in Cuttack, the erstwhile capital of the state, the Orissa High Court has warned its officials of stern action, saying that such act amounts to ‘misadventure’.

The Division Bench of Justice S.K. Sahoo and Justice V. Narasingh, taking cognizance of bad roads condition, traffic mismanagement and noise pollution during puja festivities, expressed strong displeasure over CMC’s misleading the court on the ground realities of civic amenities in the centuries-old city which was capital of Odisha for almost nine centuries, before Bhubaneswar was made the capital city in 1948.

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“It is a very sorry state of affairs that the C.M.C authorities are giving misleading statements to this court and we hope that in future, they would desist from such misadventure otherwise in appropriate cases, we would be constrained to take strict action against the erring officials”, the Division Bench warned.

Bijay Kumar Dash, President of Orissa High Court Bar Association, had handed over the data of the 44 wards of Cuttack Municipality Corporation relating to road conditions and other civic amenities issues. The Advocates’ Committee pointed out water logging and the miserable condition of the roads in several wards of the corporation. The C.M.C Commissioner assured that immediate steps shall be taken to address the water logging problems so also repairing the roads.

The Advocates‟ Committee pointed out water logging and the miserable condition of the roads in Ward Nos.3, 6, 7, 10, 11, 12 and 13. The C.M.C Commissioner has assured that immediate steps shall be taken to address the water logging problems so also repairing the roads. However, the Committee informed the Court of haphazard repair work of the roads.

The division bench also took strong exception to the increase in decibel level during festive season. The Bar Members apprised the court that on 29 September when the immersion procession of Lord Ganesh was carried out, there was total violation of the affidavit filed by Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP), Cuttack and loud music was played and even though police was accompanying the procession, no steps were taken to prevent playing of such loud music.

The D.C.P later assured the court that such things would not be repeated in the Durga Puja, saying that he would have a talk with the president and secretary of different Puja Committees not to play loud music and would apprise them about the adverse effect of noise pollution and if deviations are being made, action in accordance with law shall be taken imposing fine, seizing loudspeakers, DJ or other sound producing instruments.