Rania: A sit-in protest led by the Bharatiya Vikash Parishad began on Tuesday afternoon in front of the Block Office, demanding solutions to the basic issues faced by the tribal residents of border area Badasilinga Panchayat in Rania. The protest was suspended on Thursday following assurances from the Sub-Collector.
A memorandum addressing various village-level problems in Badasilinga Panchayat was submitted to senior officials from 22 departments, urging prompt administrative intervention. On Wednesday, several officers including Mahanadi Floodplain Division’s Phalguni Sarathi Mallik, Assistant Public Protector Deba Prasad Raut, Sub-Divisional Officer BSL Sameer Kumar Kar, Gania Suman Majhi, Chamundia Wildlife Officer Lakshmi Narayan Panda, Junior Engineer of the Electricity Department Satyajit Mohanty, and Gania Block Chairperson Jhuna Jena visited the protest site and held discussions with protestors, but no concrete results emerged.
On Thursday, five fasting protestors fell ill and were immediately taken by ambulance to Gania Community Health Center. Following the District Collector’s instructions, officials visited the site and recorded statements from the people along with video evidence. Despite this, no resolution was reached initially. Eventually, under the Sub-Collector’s supervision, a committee was formed on the Block Office premises for the development of the Panchayat, involving representatives from every relevant department. A decision was made to conduct monthly review meetings to monitor progress and ensure transparency.
The residents welcomed this move and expressed satisfaction. It was decided that seven members would be part of each monthly meeting. However, protestors warned that if no progress is observed in the coming month or two, the agitation will be revived. Trusting the Sub-Collector’s promise, the protest was temporarily suspended.
Present during the discussions were S.B.P.O. Devendra Mahapatra, Tahasildar Pratibala Rana, BDO Sagar Kumar Nanda, and District Council Member Naresh Behera, among others.