The district authorities here have failed to undertake a construction project at the border with West Bengal due to protest by the neighbouring State.
The groundwork was initiated on Wednesday for establishment of a marine police station. But no sooner did the work begin than it was stalled by the officials of West Bengal, including the BDO, police officers of Ramnagar and revenue officers of East Medinapur. They said the work was going on a patch of land a part of which falls under their jurisdiction.
“We were cleaning the patch as groundwork by cutting some trees and removing shrubs and unwanted growths when the officials from West Bengal stalled it claiming that we intruded into their territory. We showed our map and on the contrary, they showed a map, claiming the area as theirs,” said the Bhograi Tehsildar.
Jaleswar SDPO Satya Ranjan Mallick said, “The work for construction of the marine police station was stopped as there was an objection from the other side owing to the borderline dispute. The work would resume after the dispute is sorted out.”
District Collector Arabind Agarwal said, “I had talked with my counterpart in Bengal. The work would resume after a settlement of the dispute.”
As many as 82 villages bordering the two States are bearing the brunt of the lingering border dispute. In some cases, while people are deprived of the State schemes, in others, some are enjoying the benefits of both the States including ration card, voter identity card and voting rights.