Mathili: Seeking development of Tentuligumma panchayat, the birth place of freedom fighter Shaheed Laxman Naik, hundreds of villagers have vowed not to vote or allow any politician to enter the village until a fund of Rs 100 crore was released for its development, sources said.
Led by the panchayat sarpanch and the village committee, the villagers took oath to shun voting in the upcoming election.
The villagers will take the official oath to shun vote on Shaheed’s birth anniversary November 22.
“The village which was birth place to many freedom fighters who laid down their lives for Independence is lying in neglect even after so many years. So, we have decided to stand against the apathy of the administration, until our demands are fulfilled,” the sarpanch said.
Earlier, the village had submitted a petition to Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik to release Rs 100 crore. Similarly, the villagers have launched the Shaheed Laxman Nayak Yuva Sena campaign to raise Rs 100 crore for the development of the birth soil of the freedom fighter.
In the letter, the villagers demanded the government develop the freedom fighter’s village as a heritage site and restore its historical importance.
Among the other demands were a bridge over Tentuligumma river, road from Dandabadi to Tentuligumma village, construction of a school and an Anganwadi building in the panchayat, a primary health centre with a doctor, bus facility between Koraput and Tentuligumma, inclusion of beneficiaries in yojanas under the Biju Pucca Ghar Yojana and the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana and a museum in the name of Shaheed Laxman Nayak.
The villagers also demanded a facelift to the village with much-needed basic amenities, restore the places of importance of Shaheed Laxman and provide better infrastructure so that people could visit them.
There has been no development even after so many years. By now, it has dawned on the villagers that they will remain deprived of their fundamental rights unless a new struggle is put together.
PNN