People of Maidalpur in Odisha demand a New Block

Rakesh Gupta: Demanding to create a new block, the local people of Maidalpur area of Nabarangpur district have staged a road block on NH 26 Nabarangpur- Bhawanipatna road at Maidalpur by putting a tent on the middle of the highway itself since Tuesday.

The inhabitants of nine panchayats from Papdahandi block including Maidalpur, Majhiguda, Sanbarli, Nuakot, Kantamal, Semla, Chandrapur, Tumborla and Naktiguda have demanded to make Maidalpur as a new block of Nabarangpur district, which has now ten blocks. They have also submitted a memorandum to the district collector Rasmita Panda in this regard.

Besides, the demonstrators also raised five other demands such as appointment of doctors to the local PHC, uninterrupted power supply, revised BPL list for food security scheme, appointment of adequate teachers to every school and declare Maidalpur region as drought prone area.

Presently, Mmaidalpur panchayat is in the Papdahandi block, which comprises 22 panchayats.

Papdahandi BDO and Tehasildar Albart Lakra reached the spot to discuss with the agitators but they refused and demanded district level officers to come for cause.

A large number of vehicles including long route buses were jammed on both side of the NH causing numerous problems to the commuters due to the road blockage for two days.