Recently, four new Gram Panchayats (GPs) such as Jharapada, Hansara, Barangagadia and Paikasahi were constituted in Ranpur block in Nayagarh district, but the birthplace of martyr Dibakar Parida, Gadabanikil, was neglected.
The proposals to reorganize Khairpalli Gram Panchayat by creating a new Gram Panchayat of Gadabanikilo in spite of recommendations of the Collector, Nayagarh, vide his letter No.1008 dated 7.10.2015 has not been considered although the proposed Gadabanikilo fulfills all the criteria and was eligible to be declared as a Gram Panchayat.
The villagers are complaining that in reorganization of Panchayats, the population factor has not been considered at all. The population of the proposed Gadabanikilo Gram Panchayat is 2,482 and three newly considered Panchayats like Hansara, Barangagadia and Paiksahi have less population than that of Gadabanikilo as Jharapada is having a population of 2,611, Hansara 2,078, Baranga Gadia 2,004 and Paikasahi 2,065.
Gadabanikilo is a historical village and as per a final report on the original survey and settlement operation of the Ranpur ex-State area in Puri district during the year 1943-1952, the village was a Zila or Pragana having 20 villages under Ranpur ex-State during British period for smooth revenue/police administration and having strongest historical background. There are largest population of minority community, schedule caste and schedule tribe in proposed Gadabanikilo panchayat than others. This village’s son of soil martyr Dibakar Parida was hanged to death on April 4, 1941 in Bhagalpur Jail.
Besides, many other freedom fighters of the village had sacrificed their life during the Gadjat movement. The inhabitants of the proposed Gram Panchayt are now demanding the GP to be named as Raghu Dibakar Gram Panchayat.
The other facts are villages Gadabanikilo, Giridharpur, Gunduria, Badapathuria and Sana Pathuria are situated on the boundary of Nayagarh district and at the right side of the road connecting lodhachua to Pichukuli. Besides, those villages are covered by Gramya jungle and reserve forest.
The distance from Badapathuria and Gunduria is more than 5 km of the existing headquarters of Khaipalii Grama Panchayat. Geographically, the proposal of Gadabanikilo Gram Panchayat is the fittest one to be re organized as Gram Panchayat. Besides, the reserve forest of Gadabanikilo, Gunduria and Sanapathuria which covers 500 acres can be developed if the proposed Grama Panchayat is constituted. In addition, there is a mountain in the village of Giridharpur which requires afforestation. Unless the proposed Panchayat is constituted, it would be difficult to develop the jungle.
The two freedom fighters late Raghunath Mohanty and late Dibakar Parida had studied in Gadabanikilo Basic School established in 1881, the third primary school of Ranpur state established by Raja Benudhar Narendra. Former Governor of Odisha B Satyanarayan Reddy had declared Gadabanikilo village as an ideal historical village on his visit on the event of Martyrs Day on April 4, 1987. Eminent statesmen like Dr Harekrushna Mahtab, Biju Patnaik, Pabitra Mohan Pradhan, Nabakrushna Chaudhury, Radhanath Rath had also visited the village and paid homage to martyrs Raghu-Dibakar. They had praised the patriotism and Hindu-Muslim amity of the villagers.
Gadabanikilo is famous for the fraternity between the two communities. In the festivals of Hindus like Dussehra, Raja and Dola, Muslims also participated with Hindus. In Dussehra, Muslim Dalabehera makes the ritual of Khandabasha. On Dola Chaturdashi, the viman of lord Jagannath and lord Shiva is first taken to the house of Muslim Dalbehera and Prasad is served to the lords by the Muslim Dalbehera.
For solving the problem of water scarcity, irrigation, road communication, public health facilities and for ensuing better living conditions and development, there should be special consideration to constitute the proposed Gadabankilo as a Panchayat, demanded social worker Binayak Rath, historian Satyabadi Baliarsingh, former bureaucrat Durga Charan Sahoo, Dr liakat Alli Khan, Chandrasekhar Rautray, Gangadhar Parida, Brajendra Rath, Bikram Parida, Izhar Khan, Prananath Nayak, Charan Naik and scribe Samarendra Baliarsingh.