BARIPADA: Installation of hoardings by West Bengal Government on trees on the roadside at Sahabjipur area has led to resentment among people in border areas of Jaleswar, Bhograi and Baliapal blocks. Several hoardings have also surfaced on the roof of buildings, hotels, walls and trees near New Digha. The hoardings, portraying West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee’s image, highlight a host of projects undertaken by the neighbouring State for people in Odisha. They are written in Odia with errors.
Sources said Banerjee had visited Digha on Tuesday and spent three days in the coastal resort town. With such hoardings emerging in the area, the residents of the border areas are sceptical of the West Bengal Government’s intentions. This comes at a time when West Bengal has been accused of encroaching upon the land in Odisha.
The Irrigation and Waterways department of the neighbouring State had in August erected a signboard in Udaypur area that mentioned ‘Digha Sea Beach Protection and Beautification Work’. The district administration had pulled down the signboard on August 28 after strong protests by locals and some socio-cultural outfits.