KORAPUT: Nachika Linga, the Chasi Mulia Adivasi Sangha (CMAS) president, and his wife, Tikai, filed nomination papers for Narayanpatna Zilla Parishad and Podapadar sarpanch seats on Tuesday. Nachika, who is presently lodged in Koraput Circle Jail, filed papers through his lawyer.
Submitting Nachika’s papers to the Koraput Sub-Collector, his lawyer Gupteswar Panigrahi said the seat is being reserved on rotation basis during every election. During the last ZP election, it was reserved for Scheduled Tribes and this time round, it is reserved for Other Backward Class (OBC).
Quoting Nachika, Panigrahi said as the entire region of Koraput district is considered a Scheduled area, Panchayats (Extension to Scheduled Areas) Act, 1996 should have been fully in force since long. If the State Government aims to develop tribal areas, all seats should be reserved only for tribals, he said.
With a tribal population of more than 75 per cent in Narayanpatna block, there is no reason why there should be any rotation in reservation of candidates, Nachika’s counsel stated on his behalf.
Panigrahi said if Nachika’s nomination runs into trouble during scrutiny, it would be challenged in the court. Nachika was ready to move even the Supreme Court for justice of tribals.
Linga had surrendered before the police in October 2014 following which he was arrested.
According to official sources, 68 candidates filed their nominations for the 29-member Zilla Parishad at Koraput and Jeypore Sub- Collectors’ office on the last day. The nominations would be scrutinised on Tuesday.
Sources said inaccessibility of administration to the panchayats and poor implementation of development works in the region have played a vital role in motivating the locals to jump into the fray.