Athagarh residents in Odisha protest merger of villages with CDA
CUTTACK: Normal life was hit across Athagarh block in Cuttack district following a dawn to dusk bandh observed by locals protesting the proposal for inclusion of some villages under the Cuttack Development Authority (CDA) jurisdiction.Offices and business establishments remained closed from 6 am to 6 pm during the bandh which was called by Athagarh Surakshya Manch.
The Housing and Urban Development (H&UD) department had on March 31 issued a notification proposing to bring the villages belonging to seven blocks of the district under CDA. As per the proposal, 71 villages under Athagarh block are going to be merged with CDA.
Terming it as an anti-people move, Athagarh Surakshya Manch president Phani Bhusan Rath said that a decision to merge the villages was taken at a Cabinet meeting and a notification to this effect was published on March 31. However, the residents were not informed before the decision was taken. “April 30 has been fixed as the deadline for submission of suggestions and complaints. But how can people file their grievances within this short span of time,” he questioned.
Secretary of the Manch Jagadananda Tripathy said the 71 villages which the State government has planned to merge with CDA are in Khuntuni and Gurudijhatia areas. However, in the State government notification, the information has been manipulated by showing them as under Choudwar police limits which is far from these areas, Tripathy alleged.