The residents of Jalke Gram Panchayat, under Podi-Uproda block, in a complaint made with Collector P Dayanand during the weekly Jandarshan, alleged that people of a particular tribe from Surguja had encroached their land. The villagers also expressed their annoyance for SDM Virendra Patle, who allegedly no even considered the report submitted by the Patwari and the Revenue Inspector regarding demarcation of land.
During the Jandarshan, a large number of villagers, led by MlA representative Ramprasad Uikey, Kedar Singh, Kotwar Kewla Prasad and Panch Harilal Singh met the Collector. According to the villagers, it has been many years that tribal people have been residing in the village. But two decades ago, a few people of the community came here from Surguja in search of livelihood. At that time, the tribals here gave a small place to the community people to reside. But gradually they captured the entire place and grabbed the land which the villagers have taken on lease.
The villagers told the collector about the complaint they had filed with the tehsildar, who then instructed the Revenue Inspector and the Patwari to mark the land. A matter was also taken to SDM Patle for hearing. But instead of favouring the villagers, he cancelled the marking report and allotted the land to the community people. According to sources, Paali-Thanakhaar MlA Ramdayal Uikey had selected the village for upgrading it as ‘Aadarsh Gram’. However, it seems that with the ongoing conflict between the two groups, the dream of Aadarsh Gram would not be fulfilled.