Bhograi: While Odisha has border disputes with its neighbouring states in 14 bordering districts, many villages under Bhograi and Jaleswar blocks in Balasore have been facing confrontations with locals and administration of West Bengal. Locals, pestered under long dispute, have demanded quick resolution to their dilemma.
Reports said border dispute in— six villages under Bhograi and five under Jaleswar— have remained unresolved due to lack of proper identification and demarcations. The issue has been long-standing and needs to be resolved after having talks with Bengal counterparts.
The village Sankhamedi, having a population of 556, was paying revenue till 1975 to Odisha. It may be mentioned here that there are several instances of West Bengal intruding into Odisha borders. In 1978, the West Bengal government had claimed its ownership on a concrete road in Sahabjipur-Udaypur beach.
The irrigation department had built a cyclone warning centre in the area in 1982 but the Digha Unnayan Parishad vandalised it.
In 1989, the West Bengal administration pulled down a border-marking pole raised by the land and records department of Odisha.
In 2013, Digha police had forcibly written in Bengali on Udaypur forest check post. In 2014, talsari Marine police station was vandalised three times. In 2015, Udaypur-Sahabajipur road was blocked. In 2014, Bengal sand mafia had detained former Jaleswar tehsildar and some cops. In 1915, there was tension among villagers over illegal sand lifting by Bengal mafia from Subarnarekha.
With border disputes still unresolved, people of these areas strongly resented the state Revenue Minister Sudam Marndi’s statement in the Assembly November 15. The minister had said that except the Kotia villages, Odisha has no major border dispute.
Various outfits, intellectuals and other associations have strongly objected to it. Bhograi MLA and district planning committee chief Ananta Das said that the West Bengal government and administration are unnecessarily stoking border disputes in the areas.
Former MP Kharvel Swain said that he would hold talks with West Bengal Chief Minister for a permanent solution to the border dispute.
The residents of Sankhamedi, a village having border dispute with West Bengal, have long been demanding that their village be declared as a revenue village under Bhograi block of Odisha and the Odisha Government collects revenue from them.
They alleged that even after seven decades of independence they could not earn their identities although they identify themselves as Odias. They said owing to the lack of status of revenue village they are deprived of certificates such as residential, caste, income and other testimonials. They said that they are willing to pay revenue and want to be part of Odisha.
Ajay Jena, ward member of Sankhamedi, said, “We are Odia and our forefathers were Odias. We want to be with Odisha. The government should collect revenue from us.”
