MALKANGIRI: The state government’s poll promise of renaming about 220 villages inhabited by Bengali settlers in Malkangiri has received a jolt with the Zilla Adivasi Samaj Mahasangha opposing the decision tooth and nail, forcing the district administration to put on hold ongoing g ram and p a l l i sabha meetings.
The Revenue and Disaster Management department, recently in a letter, asked the district administration to conduct gram sabha in all the Bengali settlers’ villages and send the resolution for approval to grant revenue village status.
Subsequently, the collector asked all tehsildars who in turn directed the respective block development officers to conduct gram sabha and palli sabha in villages inhabited by Bengali settlers. Accordingly, gram sabha and palli sabha meetings were conducted in all such villages in Kalimela and Malkangiri blocks.
But the meetings were disrupted midway due to stiff opposition from tribal PRI members and leaders over state government’s decision to change the nomenclature of alpha numerical Bengali villages to their real names. At present, there are 220 such villages in the district of which 136 are Malkangiri villages (MV) and 84 Malkangiri Potteru villages (MPV).
In Kalimela block alone, there are 41 Malkangiri villages followed by 55 Malkangiri Potteru villages. Contacted, ADM (Revenue) Bedabar Pradhan told this paper that process was started to conduct palli sabha and gram sabha. In some villages, the meetings were conducted but disrupted midway after which meetings have been put on hold.
However, district collector Ashish Iswar Patil said some tribal people are opposing it but the entire exercise is still in process. The administration is holding discussion with them over the issue and it would be fruitful, Patil said. “The tribal people have an impression that once the Bengali villages get revenue status, the area will not be in the Fifth Schedule which is not true. With the change of the name of the villages, the Fifth Schedule tag will in no be way affected,” Patil added.
District Adivasi Mahasangha chief advisor Ghenu Muduli said a conspiracy is being hatched by the government to take away tribal rights by turning Bengali villages into revenue villages which will not be allowed. Bengali community leader and former BJP district unit president Nimai Charan Pal said when Malkangiri was under Dandakaranya project, the Bengali villages had their original names which could not be popular as compared to the alpha numerical names.
“The tribal people are opposing the change of nomenclature without any valid reason and not allowing gram sabha and palli sabha meetings. We will urge the government to change the village names without conducting gram sabha and palli sabha meetings,” Pal added. It was Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma who during the election meetings in 2024 promised the Bengali settlers that villages will get revenue tag if BJP comes to power in Odisha.