BARIPADA: Hundreds of tribals including women and children on Wednesday staged dharna in front of Samakhunta block office in Mayurbhanj district demanding houses under various government schemes.
The agitators, all residents of Kuchilaghati, Sirishbani and Baldiha panchayats under Samakhunta block, also burnt effigies of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik alleging non-implementation of housing schemes in the area. Panchayat samiti president Chandramohan Singh said nearly 900 families of three villages are living on the foothills of Similipal forest and have their own land. However, they are deprived of pucca houses which should have been provided to them under various government schemes by the district administration.
“The villagers have proper roads, drinking water facilities and access to healthcare services. But a pucca house is a dream for them. We have approached the district administration several times in the past but housing benefits are yet to be provided to villagers,” claimed Singh .
Similarly, Sanju Giri of Govindchandrapur claimed not a single family in the village has a pucca house. “We are living in miserable condition but the block officials have tuned a blind eye to our plight. The officials say our village is not eligible to avail housing benefits due to some census issue,” she added.
The agitators threatened to boycott the upcoming polls if their demand for housing units is not fulfilled soon. Block development officer (BDO) of Samakhunta Muna Sethy said due to some technical problems during the 2011 census, the names of villagers were de-listed. The administration will provide them housing benefits after conducting a survey.