On the one hand, the Government has been sanctioning lakhs of rupees for the development of forest and naxalite affected areas, on the other, officers of the forest department, creating impediments in the development works, are trying to stop construction works.
Such an issue has come to the fore in the dependant village of Mechka village panchayat, Arsikanhar. The culvert and road construction work of the panchayat, under the Employment Guarantee scheme, has been stopped. The angry villagers have made a complaint with the collector and threatened to boycott the election.
The complainants – Sarpanch Jeevanlal Nag, Ghanshyam Netam, Girijabai, Chamruram Sahu, Pratap Yadav and Brijlal Netam said that the culvert and road construction works were going on in the dependant village Arsikanhar under the Employment Guarantee scheme. The forest ranger has stopped the work and seized the belongings of the labourers. They said that in view of transportation, construction of the culvert and the road were much needed. If the construction work has not been done immediately, the polling teams would also find it difficult to reach the polling centres, they added.
The angry villagers said that if the construction work were not permitted, people of Arsikanhar village panchayat would boycott the forthcoming assembly election. Taking the complaint seriously, collector NS Mandavi said that the Employment Guarantee Scheme was a government work and to stop this work comes under criminal activity. Hence, FIR would be registered against those who have stopped the work. The officer concerned has been given instructions in this regard, he added.