BHOPAL: Amid the ongoing border row involving Karnataka and Maharashtra, the villages in Dharni tehsil (block) of Amravati district of Maharashtra have launched a protest for their entire tehsil comprising 150-plus villages to be included in adjoining Madhya Pradesh.
Residents of these villages, who protested recently on the Maharashtra-Madhya Pradesh border, demanding inclusion in MP, have reportedly written to the President of India and the CMs of Maharashtra and Madhya Pradesh.
The protestors have alleged that lack of development, particularly woeful state of roads, public health facilities and linguistic barriers, have forced the residents of these villages to rely on adjoining MP districts, for all their major needs, spanning from economic to health needs.
While the Amravati district headquarters is around 190 km from Dharni tehsil and its constituent villages, the three districts of Madhya Pradesh, including Burhanpur, Khandwa and Betul are just 60-70 kms from Dharni tehsil villages.
“Over 150 villages forming over 70 gram panchayats are part of Dharni taluka. Out of these 150-plus villages, 100 don’t have proper roads, while 24 villages don’t have electricity even 75 years after the country’s independence. Right from farmers, traders to commoners, the residents of Dharni taluka villages have to rely for everything on markets in Burhanpur, Khandwa and Betul districts of MP, “ said Sripad Pal, the Amravati Zila Parishad member, who is leading the movement for including Dharni and its villages in Madhya Pradesh.
“Residents in most villages of Dharni speak Hindi, but they’ve to deal with Maharashtra government officials, who speak and work in Marathi. We are only geographically part of Maharashtra, but for all our needs we rely solely on MP, which is why we’ve written to the President of India and others for making our villages part of MP.
Protestors recently staged demonstrations in support of their demands on the Maharashtra-MP border, raising the slogan, “Hamari maang poori karo, Madhya Pradesh mein shamil karo.” The movement is likely to gain further momentum in the new year.
“Out of the 150-odd villages in Dharni block spread in around 140 km, 70 neighbour the three districts of Madhya Pradesh It’s been 40 years since even a single industrial unit was started anywhere in Dharni. Even for medical treatment, we’ve to rely on MP rather than Amravati district HQ which is around 190 km away. When we’ve to depend on the MP for everything, what’s the use of being part of Amravati. We hope that the President of India and two state governments will act on our demand sympathetically and promptly,” Pal said.
No proper roads, electricity
Dharni block of Amravati district of Maharashtra comprises 150 plus villages spread in around 140-150 km. 140-150 km
While 190 km distance separates Dharni block from Amravati district headquaters, just 60-70 km separates many villages of Dharni block from MP’s Burhanpur, Khandwa and Betul districts.
No new industrial units have come up in Dharni block since four decades, malnourishment too remains a big concern.