BHUBANESWAR: The state government has asked the Bhubaneswar Development Authority (BDA) to depute 28 of its employees to Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation (BMC) for maintaining parks and roads.

It comes close on the heels of the government green light to the BMC's proposal to transfer BDA-managed parks of less than 5 acre to the corporation. The employees include an assistant horticulture officer, two garden assistants, two malis, one pump operator, three field men, two assistant pump operators, two junior engineers (electrical) and seven electricians, official sources said.

The BDA and the BMC will jointly pay these employees for the next five years, after which they will exclusive draw salaries from the latter, the sources added.

"At present, the BMC is managing 24 colony parks in collaboration with different residents' welfare associations. The decision to transfer smaller parks to BMC was taken for better maintenance. The BDA looks after 34 parks,"said BMC spokesperson Srimanta Mishra.

He said it is a part of restructuring the civic body. "All BDA-owned kalyan mandaps will come under the administrative control of BMC, which looks after nine marriage mandaps," he said.

The government has also approved the corporation's proposal to bring roads of less than 9-metre width under its jurisdiction. The city roads are being maintained by BDA, works department and BMC, he added.