Padmapur: People of Chardapalli panchayat under Paikalmal block of Bargarh district are leaning towards Chhattisgarh, alleging administrative apathy and step-motherly attitude of the Odisha government.
Upset over lack of development, people of Chardapalli urged Sareipalli MLA Kismat Lal Nanda of Chhattisgarh to merge their panchayat with the neighbouring state.
A delegation of local people including Shankar Sahu, Arakshit Pradhan, Dasrath Nayak, Rakhyapal Sahu, Seshadev Nayak, Janata Pradhan, Prafulla Pradhan went to Sareipalli Saturday evening and met the MLA in this regard.
According to the locals, they had staged protests and road blockades several times, demanding a bridge across Anga river, a road between Chardapalli and Luharakote on Chhattisgarh-Odisha border and a road at Debadarha. “Despite repeated agitations, the state government has not paid heed to the issues,” they lamented.
Following the meeting with the Chardapalli people, the Sareipalli MLA immediately had apprised the Collector of the neighbouring district in Chhattishgarh about the development.
The MLA has also assured the people of Chardapalli that as the issues raised by the people are an inter-state problem, steps will be taken to sort them out with help of the Chhattishgarh government.
PNN