BARIPADA: Alleging negligence by the Centre and state government in providing basic facilities, over 10,000 retired army personnel took out a rally and later staged dharna in front of the Mayurbhanj collectorate here with their five-point charter of demands on Monday.
Holding placards and raising slogans, the protestors demanded that a sainik board, polyclinic, canteen, land for a permanent office be established in the district. They also sought a revival of the joint monitoring committee.
They alleged that though several army personnel from across the Mayurbhanj district have served in the defence for years on end, not a single one of their five demands have been fulfilled till date.
“We have to travel all the way to Balasore to avail medical services and domestic requirements since there is no such facility here in Baripada. Worse, retired armymen who belong to places like Karanjia,
Rairangpur and Bijatola have to travel around 130-140 km to Balasore to avail canteen and polyclinic facilities which proves expensive for them,” rued Gajendra Sahoo, Suresh Sahoo and others.
Besides, the joint monitoring committee which was earlier operational, has now stopped functioning due to government apathy, they added.
The agitators further submitted a memorandum addressed to President Droupadi Murmu through collector Vineet Bhardwaj in this regard. Contacted, collector Bhardwaj said the demands will be looked into.