Baripada: Ahead of the elections to the civic body, provision of land pattas for the landless will be an issue.
The landless people, united under Baripada Pourapalika Patta Bihina Basindha Sangh, held a meeting recently and discussed their problems and the government notification to provide land to the people.
Sangh members alleged that while the land patta distribution work has been going on in other urban and civic bodies in the state, it is not being done in Baripada municipality. Therefore, the Sangh has decided to field its candidates in the coming civic body elections. It said the Sangh candidates will make land pattas an issue in the elections. Interestingly, there will be direct election to the post of municipality chairperson.
“Many chairpersons have come and gone, but none has realised the plight of the landless people living in the civic body area. This issue has not been given priority,” the Sangh lamented.
“If a landless man is elected to this post, he can at least take the issue seriously,” said Nanda Kumar Mohapatra, the Sangh president.
It was stated that some landless people had been issued land pattas before the Assembly and the General Elections. But this work has been stalled now, the Sangh rued and demanded immediate steps to issue land pattas to the landless.