Bhogarai: At a time when border disputes of Odisha are increasingly complicated with Andhra Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand and West Bengal, residents of Sankhamedi village under Analia panchayat of this block in Balasore district cast their votes in the panchayat polls of West Bengal held Saturday. Over 300 voters in Sankhamedi village were learnt to have exercised their franchise in the rural polls of West Bengal, Saturday. People of this border village have voter identity cards of both the states and the residents vote during elections in both the states. This has dealt a severe blow to the state government which always vouches to guard the borders of the state from the neighbouring states.
Reports said that Sankhamedi village is not a lone example as voters of 12 villages in Bhogarai and Jaleswar blocks of Balasore district bordering West Bengal have voted in the rural polls of the neighbouring state. The villagers enjoy ration supplied by both states, speak both Odia and Bengali and use SIM cards of both the state telecom circles. The development has come against the backdrop of Odisha completing 86 years of its formation as a separate province. Local intelligentsia have alleged that such a large number of voters voting in West Bengal rural polls is indicative that the neighbouring state has almost gobbled up Sankhamedi which is a revenue village of Odisha. This has sparked concern in various quarters in the state.
On record, the people come under two villages—Sankhamedi (ward No 18 of Analia panchayat) of Bhogarai block in Odisha and Bagbrajakishore (ward no 14) of Ramnagar block in West Bengal. The Sankhamedi has about 320 voters while Bagbrajakishore village has over 700 voters, including the rest from nearby West Bengal hamlets. The villagers revealed that they have been voting in both state elections for the last 30 years. However, the Election Commission has apparently not taken note of it. Reports said that the Odisha government was collecting revenue from Sankhamedi village from 1927 to 1980 but it stopped from 1978 after the then West Bengal government declared it as part of their province by including it in Ramnagar block of East Midnapore district from 1978. Since then, both states have entered into a face-off over possession of the village. The Odisha government has established a primary school, constructed a road, supplied power and drinking water, constructed toilets and provided the villagers with ration cards.
Similarly, the West Bengal government is also providing other basic facilities and houses under Awas Yojana to the villagers. The students of this village continue to study in the new building of the primary school where the state government has appointed Odia teachers. However, the students of this village have failed to get caste certificates as the state government is not collecting revenue from this village. As a result, students studying in Odia medium schools have been deprived of getting higher education. The dual rule of both the state government continues in Sankhamedi village while the voters continue to cast their votes in the elections of both states with the voter cards they have acquired from Odisha and West Bengal.
