Betonati: The residents of Betonati in Mayurbahanj district have expressed concern over the delay in providing NAC status to the town.
The residents have been demanding notified area status to Betonati for over 20 years. Baripada is a municipal town of Mayurbhanj district while Rajgangpur, Karanjia and Udala have been accorded NAC tag. Betonati meets all the eligibility criteria to be proclaimed an NAC.
The government had instructed the Mayurbjanj Collector to submit a detailed report about Betonati. As per the Collector’s directions, former Betonati tehsildar had reported in 2011 that there would be no problem if nine villages and 18 wards of Sothila panchayat and Betonati were merged into an NAC.
He had also submitted consent letters from two Sarpanches that they had no objection to declaring Betonati as an NAC. But the Housing and Urban Development Department gave the letter to the BDO and tehsildar of Betonati through the Collector regarding this in 2016.
Local leader Priyabrata Pattnaik had called for a 12-hour shutdown in 2017 against the inordinate delay on the part of the administration, and it had gathered mass support.
The Housing and Urban Development Department had written to the Collector to investigate Betonati’s eligibility to be accorded NAC status September 8, 2017. The Betonati block administration had responded to the letter to declare Betonati as an NAC in 2016.
The letter had detailed information about roads, drainage, drinking water facilities, electricity supply, community hall and playgrounds in Betonati.
Information about transport facilities available at the district headquarters and various tourist spots in Betonati and a map showing its revenue were appended to the letter.
But till now, no reply has been given to this letter. Locals think the government had given a false promise to make Betonati into an NAC. The locals are under the impression that the government may dilly-dally the issue until the 2019 elections as it did in 2014.
Betonati GPEO Prabhash Chandra Bhoi said no reply has been received after submission of the 2016 report.
BJP Yuva Morcha state general secretary Priyabrata Pattnaik said Betonati has not been declared an NAC due to the irresponsibility of the concerned MLA.
The BJD’s Betonati block Secretary Santak Lenka said the MLA and his team had met former Collector Surendra Kumar Mina and discussed the matter with him.
Former Betonati tehsildar Anwesha Mohanty said during her tenure she had not received any communication regarding the matter.
PNN
