Jharigaon: Farmers in the Chacha Panchayat of Jharigaon Block, Nabarangpur District, are growing increasingly frustrated as the long-awaited Satyaghat Irrigation Project remains stalled due to administrative indifference. Despite previous government funding, the new administration has failed to begin work on the project, leaving it stuck in mere announcements.
Back in 2002, when Pradeep Majhi was in the opposition, he led protests and rallies demanding the construction of the Satyaghat project. Thousands of farmers from Gabaguda village marched 14 kilometers to Jharigaon Bus Stand to hold a protest meeting, putting pressure on the state government to approve the project. However, since then, only two surveys have been conducted by the administration, with no actual progress on construction.
Later, Pradeep Majhi joined the ruling BJD and held an important position in the government, leading to speculations that the project would finally be completed. Just before the elections, in March last year, then-Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik virtually laid the foundation stone and allocated funds for the Satyaghat Irrigation Project.
However, after the BJP formed the government in Odisha, nearly 10 months have passed, and there has been no sign of work beginning on the project. Farmers allege a lack of commitment from the administration, leading to growing dissatisfaction among them.
Currently, Jharigaon Block lacks proper irrigation facilities, and if the Satyaghat Irrigation Project is completed, it could provide irrigation to 600 hectares of land across Chacha Panchayat and nearby villages such as Palia, Banuaguda, Phupugam, Gurusinga, Chaklapadar, Ichhapur, Katri Chapar, Belgaon, Chitabeda, and Jharigaon Panchayat. This project could significantly benefit hundreds of farmers and enable them to cultivate twice a year, increasing their income.
Now, the key question remains: When will the Satyaghat project be completed, and when will local farmers finally reap its benefits?
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