NHRC summons top Odisha officials over civic neglect complaints in Cuttack

Lalmohan PatnaikCuttack: The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has taken a stern view of the alleged failure of senior Odisha govt officials to respond to its directives regarding long-pending civic and safety issues in a Cuttack Municipal Corporation (CMC) ward and summoned them for personal appearance.The commission on Friday ordered the personal appearance of the chief and principal secretaries (transport), Cuttack collector, SP (human rights protection cell) and CMC commissioner before it on July 9.The commission’s intervention stems from a complaint filed on Feb 24 by Akshaya Kumar Pandey and other residents of Ward No. 56 under CMC. The petition alleged that nearly 50,000 residents have been deprived of basic urban amenities despite the area being part of the municipal limits since 1997.According to the complaint, the locality lacks essential facilities such as proper drainage, all-weather roads, street lighting and public bus connectivity. Residents also flagged safety concerns over the deteriorating condition of the Kuakhai river bridge, alleging that unrestricted movement of heavy vehicles has put commuters at risk. The petitioners contended that the continued neglect amounts to a violation of their fundamental and human rights.Acting on the complaint, the NHRC on March 11 sought action taken reports from the chief secretary, director general of police, principal secretary of the transport department, Cuttack collector and the municipal commissioner of CMC.The only response received by the commission came from the superintendent of police, human rights protection cell, Cuttack.In a report submitted on April 17, the SP stated that most of the grievances were related to civic infrastructure and therefore fell within the jurisdiction of the municipal corporation. The report added that the CMC commissioner had been asked to examine the issues, while traffic police and local police personnel were directed to monitor and restrict the movement of heavy vehicles on the Kuakhai bridge during prohibited hours.Finding that reports from other authorities were still awaited, the NHRC had on April 22 issued a warning, directing them to submit the required information within two weeks and cautioning that coercive measures under Section 13 of the Protection of Human Rights Act, 1993, could follow.With no compliance forthcoming, the commission has now ordered the personal appearance of the senior officials. The summons will stand withdrawn if the pending reports are submitted by July 2, the NHRC said in its May 29 order.