Rourkela: In a glaring example of administrative apathy, the non-inclusion of eight villages into any local body in Sundargarh district has deprived their residents of constitutional recognition and democratic right of self-governance. The eight revenue villages — Tumkela, Hamirpur, Luakera, Tangarpali, Rengadi, Badasuna Parbat, Jharmunda, and Bankia — come under Rourkela and Raghunathpali Assembly constituencies but have not been included in any panchayat or the Rourkela Municipal Corporation (RMC). Election after election, the villagers cast their valuable votes and elect representatives with the hope of receiving constitutional recognition and benefits. However, they have been left in the lurch for many decades in the absence of local self-government.
The tribal communities residing in these villages have repeatedly demonstrated in front of the offices of Rourkela SubCollector, RMC, and also the Rourkela Additional District Magistrate pressing for their demands, but there has been no progress in this regard. Residents say they have been living in the eight villages since pre-Independence times. The tribal population has been the original inhabitants of these villages. However, neither the administration nor the elected representatives have paid any attention to their demands for inclusion in a local body. Their votes in every election go to waste, they lamented. Moreover, the state’s Panchayati Raj department has not extended any kind of grants or benefits to these villages owing to the non-inclusion. The tribal villagers met the National Commission for Scheduled Tribes (NCST) in Delhi September 26, 2018 to bring their issues to its attention. The NCST then ordered a ground survey and asked the Panchayati Raj department and the district administration to submit a report on the matter.
As per the order, a boundary survey of these eight villages was conducted August 20 in 2022. The survey showed that Tangarpali, Rengadi, Badasuna Parbat, and Jharmunda are closer to Suidi panchayat in Lathikata block, while Bankia, Luakera, Tumkela, and Hamirpur are near Jhirpani panchayat under Bisra block. However, even after the survey, these villages have not been included in the panchayats. Frustrated with the situation, the tribals are now planning to resort to protests if their demands are not met.
On the other hand, efforts are being made to bring these villages under the RMC, despite the Orissa High Court’s interim stay order issued March 27, 2015 regarding the municipal elections. The tribals have protested such efforts to include the villages in the RMC area without their consent. They argue that they are indigenous people and should be included in the panchayat. They wish to live a free life without the burden of various municipal taxes such as house tax, road tax, and electricity tax, which would be a hardship for them, said local tribal leaders like Lachhu Oram, Mangra Oram, Ramchandra Sahu, Gajendra Tanti, Sonu Madek, Pyari Kerketa, and Jashenta.
Questioned in this regard, Additional District Magistrate, Rourkela Ashutosh Kulkarni said all the necessary reports regarding these eight villages have already been submitted to the Odisha Panchayati Raj department. The MLA of Raghunathpali has also taken considerable initiative in bringing these issues to the attention of the department. The decision is expected to come after a hearing, he added.