Gania: Neglected, oppressed, and deprived of basic amenities and opportunities, the tribal residents of the remote and underdeveloped Badasilinga region continue to suffer in silence. Even after decades, their situation remains unchanged. The area still grapples with critical issues such as drinking water scarcity, poor road conditions, lack of electricity, weak mobile network connectivity, inadequate education and healthcare, and transportation problems. Despite these problems persisting for years, no authority has paid proper attention.
While the government often speaks about development, in Badasilinga, development seems to have gone off course. In protest, the Bharatiya Bikash Parishad (BBP) launched a movement to demand action.
On Tuesday, under the leadership of the BBP State Vice-President Niranjan Das, and with participation from BBP State President Surendra Kumar Panigrahi, State Youth Leader Sunita Pattnayak, Nayagarh District President Kanaklata Pradhan, Badasilinga Sarpanch Sashrita Sahu, Samiti Member Janaki Dehury, and many other leaders, intellectuals, and over 200 men and women from the Badasilinga Panchayat, a massive demonstration took place.
The protestors gathered at the local Dak Bungalow and held a large rally through Gania Bazaar before staging a sit-in demonstration in front of the block office. Despite the intense heat, the locals assembled to demand the development of their area. BBP leader Mr. Panigrahi declared that they were ready to sacrifice their lives for the development of their region.
The organization expressed frustration that although Odisha’s Chief Minister himself is a tribal, no real efforts have been made to resolve the longstanding issues faced by tribal communities, which they called deeply shameful. While tribals continue to face neglect, administrative officials have turned a blind eye, further highlighting the inefficiency of departmental authorities.
In the afternoon, local officials including Tehsildar Pratibala Rana, BDO Sagar Kumar Nanda, IIC Laxman Dandasena, and District Health Officer Sushant Kumar Das arrived at the site to convince the protestors. However, the demonstrators remained firm in their demands and continued the protest. At the time of reporting, the hunger strike was still ongoing.
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