Kendrapara: Resentment prevails among the villagers of Kendrapara and Pattamundai tehsils as the revenue department has levied water cess on the farmers in the area despite the fact that there is no canal there, a report said.
According to reports, Dobandha and Sobala villages in Kendrapara tehsil as well as Chandanpur, Nilakanthapur, Tamalasasan, Arua, Keshpur in Pattamundai tehsil do not have a canal to irrigate the agricultural lands of the local farmers.
However, the Revenue department has imposed water cess on the farmers and is asking for payment. This has sparked resentment among the villagers who earn their livelihood from agricultural activities. The villagers have opposed the arbitrary imposition of water cess and demanded its immediate withdrawal.
The villagers have also demanded irrigation facilities for their farmlands by digging up a canal and abolition of water cess. Villagers Ranjan Kumar Sahu, Pareswar Samal, Chhatish Kumar Parida and Prafulla Kumar Parida have warned of an agitation by farmers in coming days if the authorities did not begin a proper investigation into the irregularities and took action against those responsible for imposing the water cess.
The villagers alleged that the Revenue department has imposed water cess on them since long despite the absence of a canal in the area. They opposed such an arbitrary move of the Revenue department and have already lodged a complaint in this connection.
Meanwhile, taking note of the complaint, the district Collector had directed for a probe (letter No-33284, dated July 22, 1997) into the charges. In another letter (No. 9354, dated August 4, 1997), the then Collector again directed the Pattamundai tehsildar to conduct a probe and submit a report to him. Later, the villagers filed a petition in the consumer forum in 1998 as the matter was not properly investigated.
The consumer forum heard the matter and directed the tehsildar not to collect water cess from the villagers till irrigation facilities are made available to the farmlands. However, the tehsil officials refused to abide by the order and went on collecting water cess from the villagers. Since then, the villagers have been paying water cess to the Revenue officials despite the absence of a canal in the area.
The villagers alleged that they are being unnecessarily harassed by the Revenue and tehsil officials on the pretext of water cess. Every time the villagers visit the tehsil office to get any work done, for instance to collect necessary certificates for their children’s higher education, the tehsil officials demand that they clear their pending water cess payments.
When contacted, Sub-Collector Niranjan Behera said that the allegations would be probed. The villagers will be provided with necessary certificates for the higher education of their children after completion of the probe. Moreover, steps will be taken to provide irrigation facilities to the farmlands.
PNN
