Opposition against inclusion of areas from Jalpaiguri in Alipurduar dist
statesman news service
SILIGURI, 21 MAY: Residents of two gram panchayats ~ Sakoajhora-I and Binaguri ~ and almost all office-bearers and members of the two civic bodies, have started a movement against a proposal to include the areas in the proposed Alipurduar district, which is to be carved out of Jalpaiguri district.
It was decided that office-bearers of the two gram panchayats will continue their movement jointly against the initial proposal to carve out a new district map comprising five Assembly constituencies, including Madarihat AC.
Irrespective of political affiliations, gram panchayat members have united on the issue and are raising slogans such as "We will not go under Alipurduar district". They had a meeting yesterday.
The two gram panchayats that are under the control of Dhupguri administrative block in Jalpaiguri, are part of Madarihat AC. It was proposed that a major part of Dhupguri block and panchayat samiti remain under the present Jalpaiguri district.
There was discussion about two gram panchayats under Dhupguri block being included in Madarihat block in Alipurduar district in order to avoid administrative and technical problems, following the Election Commission’s guideline. But it seems those gram panchayats oppose the idea.
An all-political party meeting was convened by the Jalpaiguri district magistrate on 17 May. The political leaders will meet again on 28 May again to reach a consensus on the proposed new Alipurduar district and discuss in detail several issues after studying administrative proposals to carve out a new district, including the creation of sub-divisions.
The pradhan and other members of Sakoajhora-I gram panchayat, which is jointly controlled by BJP, Trinamul and Congress members, convened a meeting at Gayerkata HS School this evening to formulate strategies to prevent the administration from including the gram panchayat in the new district.
The Binaguri gram panchayat, controlled by the Congress, convened another meeting on the same issue at a local market.
Sakoajhora-I pradhan Manohar Mandal, a BJP leader, said: "We welcome the decision to create a new Alipurduar district. However, we will not go under the control of a new district as local residents will face difficulties in getting administrative services."
"If our area is included in Madarihat block, the distance to the district headquarters will be 85 km. At present, the distance between Jalpaiguri and Sakoajhora is nearly 41 km. The present distance between the panchayat and Dhupguri block is 12 km and, in the new administrative set-up, the distance will be 35 km," Mr Mandal said.
The upo-pradhan of Sakoajhora gram panchayat, Mr Satyabrata Chakraborty, a Trinamul leader, said: "We have started campaigning against the proposals, collecting signatures from villagers. Local political leaders, including the CPI-M and other Left parties have supported us on this issue."
The upo-pradhan of Binaguri GP, Mr Balaram Roy, a Congress leader, said: "Local residents would have to face harassment following the new administrative set-up. Though we welcome the formation of a new district, we will never go under the new district.
"The people of Binaguri GP are under the jurisdiction of Banarhat police station, which is 5 km away. If the area goes under the control of Alipurduar district, it will come under the control of the Birpara police station, which is 13 km away," said Mr Roy
