Around 300 residents of Pratap Ramachandrapur village under Puri Sadar block are living in panic for last six months over national highway (NH) to run through their village.
The cause of fear of the villagers is the poster which reads acquisition of 70 feet lands at both sides of the road within next 3 to 4 months.
The villagers fear that if the Government acquires 70 feet land, ultimately they will lose their houses. Suspecting the authenticity of the poster, the villagers demanded clarifications from the Puri Collector.
Sources said the hereditary Brahmin village under the ambit of Shreemandira Muktimandap is having a wide road connecting Bhubaneswar-Brahmapur national highway from Puri-Bhuabneswar NH near Chandanpur. The road remains jam-packed as it is shorter by almost 100 km between the two major NHs. Through the day and night trucks, busses, cars and bikes to south Odisha make jam the village.
According to the villagers, they have lost peace after the road was opened to Rameswar from Puri inside their village. Due to heavy vehicular crowd, accidents in the village are common. Besides, they said they are facing a lot of inconveniences during festive occasions when the gods and goddesses visit the village for offerings.
The villagers also face trouble during marriage and thread wearing ceremonies. As they have tradition of feasting on the road, so the vehicular trafficking has caused a hurdle for them.
That is why they have been demanding a bypass route for past two five years. In the mean time, a poster citing eviction of 70 feet space at both sides has sparked fearamong the villagers of losing roadside houses.
“We are doubtful about the authenticity of the poster. Someone has thrown poster at every door,” said Dr Bhaskar Mishra. Mishra informed that they have been hearing rumor of NH in the village for a year.
If the NH is true, then they must oppose it tooth to nail on safety ground, besides preservation of village heritages being a Sasan of Muktimandap, informed Mishra.