More than a thousand members of the Krushak Sangharsha Samiti led by president Er Debashisha Hota gheraoed the Bhuban tehsil office in Dhenkanal district on Monday in protest against continued negligence to farmers.
later, they submitted a memorandum to Tehsildar Parikhita Sahoo seeking fulfillment of seven demands.
Farmer leaders like Ranjan lenka, Duryodhan Naik and Malay Tripathy, Bhuban Samabay Samiti president Purna Chandra Sahoo, lawyer Babuli Sethy, Rita Sahoo, Anil Panigrahy, Dillip Samal, Giridhari Sahoo and Krushna Mallik spoke on the occasion.
They demanded checking of all types of corruption practices in the Tehsil office and on-time availability of benefits to farmers under the Government schemes.
They demanded that land pattas (Gunthikia pattas) be provided to all landless, both in urban and village areas.
The other demands include correction of RORs vis-à-vis castes. Tribal caste ‘Saara’ should be changed to ‘Sabar’ at the earliest, they said.
Early reconstruction of Damasal canal at Asurabandha and release of drought compensation for 2015 and stopping of irregularities in Rengali left Canal construction works are the other demands they placed before the Tehsildar.
“File doesn’t move without bribe even for issuance of a caste certificate in Bhuban Tehsil. lands are being sold at low prices. Hundreds of landless people are waiting to get Gunthikia Patta for long,” said Hota, who is spearheading agitations for long.
Hota said students and job aspiring tribal youths are facing troubles to get caste certificates as ‘Saara’ has been written in old records while ‘Sabar’ is the right word. While Saara is a general caste, Sabar is tribal.
He lamented that farmers in the area were yet to get drought compensation.
“Construction works for the Rengali left Canal are not going as per the guidelines. Quality should be maintained,” they demanded.
Hota said the agitation would be intensified if all demands are not met soon.