Even as a joyous mood prevailed in Sambalpur over up-grade of the municipality to a corporation, a section of intellectuals here feel that it was merely a “lollypop” as the greater issue of permanent bench of High Court is yet to be sorted out.
A section of the political circles here pointed out that the demand for a municipal corporation had not been voiced even once by elected MLAs in the Assembly.
The BJD government went out of its way, included Hirakud, Burla and several villages to meet the population benchmark and declare Sambalpur municipality as a municipal corporation. Expressing doubt over the timing and backdrop of the announcement, the conscientious citizens here maintained that the HC Bench issue is much more important and pressing than that of the municipal corporation matter. “No doubt, we all are happy that the government has announced to upgrade Sambalpur municipality as the fourth municipal corporation of Odisha. However, we have reasons to doubt that if it is trying to dilute the High Court bench issue,” observed an elderly citizen.
