For the last couple of years the Odisha government has been trying to turn the state capital Bhubaneswar into a smart city with several projects and programmes through its own funding besides financial support from government of India.

                  But no smart city is possible if the residents remained backward and un-smart with a mind-set belonging to stone-age period. That if not all but majority of the people in the state capital are not trying to change themselves to live in a city that would be called smart is clearly evident from two examples given below.

                   Substantial part of Janpath, the busiest thoroughfare of Bhubaneswar have become a “smart Janpath” with further widening of both sides of the road, specious and colourful footpath and decorated lampposts. Small benches have also been put in place for the people to sit and spend their free time leisurely, particularly during evening hours.

                   However, on a recent evening trip to the flashy busy road, one came across a strange and unexpectedly ugly scene that would automatically raise a question in one’s mind if the city can ever be made a smart one.

                   A group of men, may be in their late thirties or early forties, comparatively better dressed(certainly not people belonging to lower class) were openly boozing on the footpath itself between Raj Mahal and Sisu Bhawan square on Bapuji Nagar side of the road. They had turned one of the benches into an open bar, keeping the glasses with liquor and food items on it while hiding the bottles below the bench.

                   The group had no fear or botheration either for the police or the people passing by with utmost discomfort. They were simply enjoying their drinks, chatting among themselves while bursting into loud laughter occasionally. Certainly, there was no policing on part of the local police. But what about the people themselves. Are they not the residents of a smart city? How could they forget the basic responsibility of a good citizen?

                  Similarly, a few days back the garden inside the specious house of the Governor was made open to general public for a few days. The rush was huge and everyday thousands of people made a beeline to have a look at the well maintained garden. On the evening of the last day, people passing on the road in front of the Governor House were for a surprise as the usually clean road had turned into a garbage dump yard with food wrappers and empty packs laying scattered everywhere.

                 The citizens came, enjoyed the afternoon and threw the waste materials on the road to be cleaned by municipal authorities. Smart people would have carried those waste and thrown them in the roadside dustbins.

                 There is an urgent need for the people of Bhubaneswar to make their mind smart otherwise the idea of a smart city would turned into a damp squib despite all efforts by the government authorities and pumping of hard-earned money of the sincere tax payers into projects and programmes .

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