Members of the Bharatiya Vikash Parishad took out a procession from the Kukudakhandi bus-stand to the block office in Ganjam district on Thursday and gheroed the block office demanding shifting of the district Collectorate and the Regional Transport Office (RTO) to Brahmapur from Chhatrapur.
Parishad State president Surendra Panigrahi said that it has been 30 long years since former Minister late Brundaban Nayak had placed the demand before the State Government and the Parishad has also submitted memorandums to the Chief Minister, the Revenue Minister and the Chief Secretary in this regards but yet to no avail.
The members submitting memorandums addressed to the Governor and the Chief Minister said that Brahmapur is the right place to run the Collectorate and the RTO from different point of views, i.e., geographically, demographically, financially and communication-wise.
They said a person can avail multiple services if the Collectorate and the RTO are shifted to Brahmapur as 99 per cent of district and zonal offices of the State Government as well as different offices of the Central Government are established in Brahmapur.
Panigrahi also demanded withdrawal of the proposal made by the Collector for construction of a seven-storied Collectorate building in Chhatrapur at a cost of Rs 6 crore and shift the same to Brahmapur. He also requested the Kukudakhandi Panchayat Samiti Chairman to pass a resolution in a Samiti meeting for shifting of the Collectorate to Brahmapur and submit the proposal to the Governor and the Chief Minister.
He warned that also said the Parishad would hold agitation in all 22 blocks and 17 urban local bodies in the district in coming days to press the demand. Among others, Rajendra Dalabehera, Rashmi Ranjan Pal, Abani Kumar Gaya, Sukant Panda, Surya Narayan Das, Basudev Sahukar, Sanatan Choudhury, Manas Patra, Sarita Panda and SN Behera were present.