Phone calls to Rayagada Civil Society Groups from 5-T Secretary’s office kindles hopes

Badal Tah,Odishabarta

Rayagada, June 11: During recent two days visit of CM Private Secretary-cum- 5T Secretary V K Pandian to Rayagada, Kashipur, Bissam Cuttack & Gunupur, a number of civil society groups submitted several petitions to him on various issues with an expectation that those will be addressed sooner or later. Pandian also assured the Rayagada public that they would very soon receive positive news from Chief Minister Naveen Pattanaik.

Rayagada Nagarika Mancha, a district level apex body of district’s citizens, pressed it’s demands like keeping Majhighariani temple in tourism map of Odisha, proper usage of 506 acres of land restored from JSCo and vested with Govt, a Medical College, a Forestry College, etc. Members of Odisha Vikalanga Manch and Rayagada Bhinnakhyama Mahasangha demanded a lift in Collector’s office, monthly identification camps at block levels, an office exclusively for Divyangs in district headquarters, free education to the wards of Dibyang parents, incentive to care givers, etc. Saradha Srikhetra Sevayata Mahasangha requested to facilitate a process of construction of a new Gundicha Temple on the railway land & a religious corridor involving Saradha Srikhetra Jagannath Temple, Mallikeswar Temple, Rama Temple & Ganesh Temple in Rayagada. Rayagada slum dwellers association has requested to have a slum area land rights survey immediately and issue records of rights to the inhabitants of all the sixteen slums in the town.

Pandian assured the farmers association at Padmapur that CM has sanctioned Rs.70  crores for development of Badanala MIP. So also instructed district administration to send a Detailed Project Report (DPR) for an Eco-tourism park at Niyamgiri Hills, development of Shiva temple & water fall at Chatikana in Bissam Cuttack block, early completion of mega drinking water project in Kashipur, etc.

The Kampo/Kapu association has demanded to include them in list of OBC, as it has been done in neighbouring AP state. The Walkers Club, Press Club also demanded wholistic development of Rayagada. The labour union Biju Shramik Sammukhya has demanded welfare of Anganwadi workers, ASHA workers and other labourers. Rayagada district Oil Palm Growers’ Federation has written about their plight of non-fixation of Minimum Support Price(MSP) of Fresh Fruit Bunches(FPP).

They have expressed their resentment through Society For Fast Justice against illegal procurement by one doctor from Parvatipuram district of Andhra Pradesh.

Thus the petitions, requests, memoranda, demands were many and all those were personally received by Pandian during his visit to Rayagada. As Pandian’s office is meticulously segregating those documents, calls have started to come to the lead persons of the associations. They were told to send names and telephone numbers of at least 5 to 10 persons of each association. It has kindled hope among Rayagada netizens that many of their aspirations will be realised soon.