UMERKOTE: Jamlipara villagers have got from Chhattisgarh government what they were deprived of in Odisha. Owing allegiance to the Chhattisgarh government for providing basic amenities, villagers of Jamlipara under Beheramunda panchayat in Chandahandi block of Nabarangpur district have threatened to part with Odisha and get merged with the neighbouring state. They alleged, despite requests to district administration in Odisha to provide them basic amenities since years, nothing has happened.
Irked, the villagers have reportedly returned all the 15 ration cards issued to them to Beheramunda sarpanch. With 18 families having a population of 73, Jamlipara shares its border with Chhattisgarh, around 15 km away.
The village neither has drinking water facility, nor electricity. There is no road connectivity and no school. Worse, the villagers have remained untouched by any of the Odisha government schemes. Most villagers have their farmland in Chhattisgarh and continue to cultivate and sell their produce in the local mandi there after procurement.
Most students are enrolled in Chhattisgarh schools and in case of medical emergency, an ambulance from Urmal in Chhattisgarh reaches them to carry patients to hospitals. The villagers have got land patta for their farmlands from Chhattisgarh government.
Unfortunately, sans electricity, people have to go to the other state to charge their mobile phones. “But we are happy that solar lights and batteries have been provided to us for our farming land by Chhattisgarh,” said villagers Mohan Naik, Chitrasen Naik, Lakhmi Naik, Sunder Naik and many others. Since we get all facilities from Chhattisgarh, we wish to be merged with the neighbouring state.
Contacted, Beheramunda sarpanch Chandraka Dharua corroborated that the villagers have returned the ration cards issued to them. Sources said, the villagers recently met Goriabandh district collector, Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel and expressed their desire to merge with the state.
The villagers have also decided to return the voter i-cards. “During election, leaders and officials rush to the village but after that none from block administration has set foot in the village,” said Sema Mali, a villager.
Nabarangpur additional district magistrate Bhaskar Raito said, “I sent Chandahandi tehsildar G Rasmi Rekha to Jamlipara village on Tuesday and directed her to submit a report within three days.”
Beheramunda samiti member Purno Chandra Suri said he will raise the matter in the coming panchayat samiti meeting.
Across border
Villagers have got farmlands in Chhattisgarh for which they have received land patta
They cultivate, reap and sell the produce there after procurement
Chhattisgarh govt has provided solar lights and batteries on farmlands
Children from the village cross border for schooling
Ambulances reach the village from the neighbouring state
People crossover to charge mobile phones