Lavish spending raises eyebrows in bankrupt BeMC
In a scathing observation, senior BJP leader and State Bar Council member Pitabas Panda questioned the ethics behind such spending, revealing data obtained under the Right to Information (RTI) Act.
According to the information accessed, a staggering Rs 2.34 crore has been spent over the last five years on renovation, beautification and new construction of BeMC's office premises and the official residence of the Municipal Commissioner. This includes Rs 11.89 lakh spent solely on the Commissioner's government bungalow, where Rs 1.09 lakh went toward installing just one air conditioner and Rs 2.45 lakh was used to beautify the open land within the compound.
Even more astounding, the Municipal Office building itself underwent a makeover worth Rs 2.22 crore. Among the listed expenses: Rs 5.73 lakh for toilet renovation and Rs 20 lakh for a new conference hall. An additional Rs 4.08 lakh was spent on woodwork for the office.
These expenditures come at a time when the citizens of Berhampur are still deprived of basic civic amenities. Long-delayed infrastructure projects, like construction of a cow shelter at Hugulapata and development of Adua Bandha Park at Gosaninua Gaon, remain incomplete due to alleged shortage of funds.
Pitabas raised a serious question on the priorities of BeMC: 'When the taxpayers of Berhampur are denied even the minimum civic benefits, is it justified to spend lakhs of rupees merely to beautify official buildings and residences?'
The revelations have sparked sharp criticism from local residents and civic activists alike, who see this as a classic case of misplaced priorities and fiscal mismanagement.
As Berhampur navigates economic adversity, this tale of extravagant bureaucracy has necessitated public scrutiny.
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Indian Express
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Make no mistake: this is not a clerical error. It is a calculated insult, an official attempt to strip a constitutionally recognised Indian language of its identity and portray millions of Bengali-speaking Indians as outsiders in their own country.' 'Bangla is spoken by over 25 crore people globally and recognised as one of India's 22 official languages. Calling it 'Bangladeshi' is a deliberate affront, a vile attempt to delegitimise the language, erase its Indian roots, and brand Bengali speakers as outsiders,' it said, and demanded an 'unconditional apology, immediate correction, and strict action against the officials responsible'. In a post on X, Chief Minister Banerjee said: 'See how Delhi Police, under the direct control of Ministry of Home, Government of India is describing Bengali as 'Bangladeshi' language! 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'The language is absolutely correct. You bring a book from Bangladesh and read it and read any book from West Bengal. After reading the two books, you will understand which one is written by Subodh Sarkar and which one is written by some Shafiqul Islam from Bangladesh,' he said. 'So if someone speaks Bangla, he doesn't become an Indian, it is not like his/her name will have to be included in the voter list if he speaks Bangla, such things will not work anymore. In a pre-planned manner with fake Aadhar cards these people have entered Banga Bhawan too.'
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The Hindu
3 minutes ago
- The Hindu
Siddaramaiah condemns Ram Sene leader's act of poisoning drinking water in school
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