Raipur: Villagers of highly naxal-affected villages of Koyalibeda staged a demonstration before local administration in Antagarh, Kanker district on Saturday, demanding their district headquarters must be changed and assimilated into Narayanpur district. They threatened of violent demonstrations if their demand got overlooked.
Announcement of making of four new districts in Chhattisgarh by Chief Minister Baghel on Independence Day has kindled a ray of new hope of development in the villagers living in the most naxal affected areas of Bastar. The hundreds of villagers of Koyalibeda, Kanker district staged demonstration in Antagarh demanding their district headquarters must be changed.
The village sarpanch Lachhu Gavde of Sikaser village complained, present district headquarters Kanker is situated at a distance of 150 kilometers meanwhile Narayanpur district headquarter is only 65 kilometers away from the Koyalibeda. This huge distancing creating hindrance in accessing benefits made available through government schemes. Many of the we villagers are illiterate, and BPL card holder reaching to the present district headquarters become quite difficult at the need of hours. Therefore, we are demanding inclusion of these villages into Narayanpur, Gavde said.
Present administration has shifted rural bank to Antagarh, the block headquarter Koyalibeda to Pakhanjur, secondly eklavya vidyalay was also shifted, as we are continuously facing discrimination and facilities are development not reaching to us we demanded assimilation of 68 villages into Narayanpur, Sanku Usendi, a social activist said.
What a tyranny earlier when we all are part of Bastar district, our Tehsil was Naryanpur now delimitation has changed out district headquarter, we are facing difficulty, we are facing neglected, so we came here to register protest.
Villagers also have submitted a memorandum addressing the Governor in support of their demands and threatened to go for violent protest if their genuine demands were overlooked.
Despite threats, anti-naxal experts observed such protest under democratic setup is good sign of development and will help government in fighting naxal menace.
