Expansion of CCC area to benefit people, increase taxes

CUMILLA, Sept 21: Although the application seeking extension of Cumilla City Corportation (CCC) area was submitted seven years ago, no action has yet been taken in this regard thus depriving the people of civic amenities and the CCC of taxes.

There are many important establishments and areas of the city which are not under the jurisdiction of CCC.

They are Cumilla Victoria Government College Degree Branch, Sasangacha Bus Terminal, Cumilla Railway Station, Cumilla Medical College Hospital and Chandpur area etc.

According to Cumilla City Corporation sources, the current area of the entire City Corporation is 53.04 sq km and its proposed area is 96.96 sq km. If the proposed area is connected to the existing one, the total area of Cumilla City Corporation will stand at 150 square kilometers. On July 10, 2011, Cumilla City Corporation was formed with 18 wards of Cumilla Municipality and 9 wards of adjoining Cumilla Sadar South Municipality.

Women organiser Yasmin Rima lives in the city's Sasangacha area. She said Sasangacha is an important area of the city for various reasons including bus terminals. However, as it is out of the city corporation, residents of the area are suffering from problems of water-logging and garbage removal.

Kamal Hossain, a resident of the western part of the city, said that many areas of North and South Durgapur Union of Cumilla Sadar Upazila should be covered by the City Corporation. There are many important installations here. Besides, the city corporation and the union bordering the area also hinder the road construction work in many areas.

President of the Aware Citizens Committee, Cumilla, Badrul Huda Genu said, "Because of the small CCC area, the city has become congested and suffocative. There will be a Cumilla Division at any time. The size of the city needs to be expanded to facilitate the work of the Division".

Monirul Haque Sakku, the mayor of Cumilla City Corporation, said the expansion of the city has been proposed to build Cumilla City Corporation in a planned and systematic way.

The ministry has been requested to double the size of Cumilla City Corporation, he added.

According to Cumilla City Corporation sources, On June 03, 2012, a meeting on the Master Plan of CCC was held.

In the meeting held at the local Birchandra Nagar auditorium organized by LGED and Cumilla City Corporation, it was informed that Cumilla City Corporation planned to expand its size to 150 sq km which will be almost double of the present size. At that time, an application was submitted to the Ministry of Local Government to increase the area of CCC.

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