BeMC meeting ends amid unruly scenes

Berhampur: Council meeting of Berhampur Municipal Corporation (BeMC) on Wednesday turned unruly with two groups of corporators engaging in heated exchange of words disrupting the meeting. The commissioner left the meeting while mayor Sanghamitra Dalei tried to pacify the corporators.Twenty-two corporators staged a dharna near the entrance gate of BeMC office demanding that the meeting be resumed. "We demand the commissioner answers our questions in the corporation meeting," said Durga Prasad Layak, corporator, ward no. 17.Another corporator alleged that BeMC did not implement decisions taken at previous corporation meetings. He said BeMC called the council meeting after two months. The last meeting was organised on Nov 22, 2024.BeMC commissioner Bhabani Prasad Mishra was not available for comment. BJD corporators in BeMC have been divided into two groups after the regional party's defeat in Berhampur assembly seat. Efforts of senior leaders have failed to unite them. In the 42-ward corporation, 36 are BJD corporators, three from BJP, two Independent, and only one Congress corporator.