Bhograi Congress leaders have threatened to take the issue of Government negligence in resolving border disputes with West Bengal to the street in December if the problem is not addressed by then.
“The State Government is in deep slumber and not interested in resolving the border disputes genuinely.
As a consequence, residents of neighbouring villages sharing boundary with Bengal are are facing threat to life and livelihood. Despite repeated promises, the Government the as not resolved the issue yet,” said Satyasiba Das, a local Congress leader.Two days ago, the Digha- Sankarpur Development Authority of West Bengal have forcibly evicted some residents from in Sahibajipur in the Bhograi area and felled at least 70 trees, mostly cashew plants, and pulled down betel vines without prior information, claiming those locations as their own.
Following receipt of the report, Baleswar Additional District Magistrate Sambit Nayak visited the area on Sunday and asked his counterparts to stop the work till issue is resolved amicably.
“I have been advised by the district Collector to visit the site and submit a report. About 70 tress, mainly cashew nut plants, were cut by them on the patch eastern side of a concrete road constructed by the panchayat. They claim the patch belonged to West Bengal.
Some houses were bulldozed by them. I urged them to stop work till the issue is resolved. Police from our end are deployed at the site to see no further trees are cut and houses pulled down,” said Nayak.
As many as 82 villages don’t have clear cut boundaries besides the sairats.