Chhatrapur: Members of various social and tribal welfare organisations gheraoed the Collector’s office here over a seven- point charter of demands Monday and threatened to continue the protest if the government did not fulfill their demands.
Their seven-point demands included—government approval of their forest dweller rights, better education, healthcare facility, drinking water, irrigation, pucca roads and electrification to tribal-dominated villages.
The other demands were to provide forest rights to the 6,343 tribals whose (forest dweller) applications were rejected on different grounds, provide land pattas to the landless families in the district, stop filing false cases on gullible tribals and stop high handedness of police.
The tribals locked the main-gate of the Collectorate following the agitation.
Scores of tribals protested under the banner of Akhil Bharat Majdoor Sabha (ABMS), Adivasi Bharat Mahasabha Chasi Mulia Sangha (ABMCMS), Ganjam District Adivasi Manch and Gramasabha Samukhya Sangathan.
AIKMS’ district secretary Raghunath Nayak and state spokesperson Bhalchandra Sarangi, ABMCMS’s secretary Purnachandra Pradhan and Ganjam District Adivasi Manch’s secretary Kailash Jani took part in the protest.
PNN