Jajpur: People of Binjharpur, a suburban area in the district, have demanded Notified Area Council (NAC) status the block headquarters town.
The local residents have been demanding urban body status for Binjharpur for the last three decades. They said that the area had been deprived of the status due to administrative indifference.
This time the Binjharpur Citizens' Committee has come forward to intensify the agitation and take up the demand with the state government.
The demand for NAC status for Binjharpur, the home turf of BJD women wing president Pramila Malick, gained momentum with the citizens' committee holding meeting on Saturday to plan their future course of action. Binjharpur legislator and senior BJD leader Pramila Malik also attended the meeting.
"We have been demanding NAC status for Binjharpur for the last two decades. Though candidates make pre-poll promises to take up the demand with the state government, they forget it after the election," said Subash Chandra Mohanty.
Local MLA Malik has been asked to take up the issue with chief minister Naveen Patnaik. She has also assured the local residents to help in getting NAC status for Binjharpur. "It has been decided at the meeting that a delegation of the Binjharpur Citizens' Committee will meet chief minister Naveen Patnaik in Bhubaneswar to press for our demand. Local legislator Pramila Malik will arrange the meeting with Naveen Patnaik," said senior citizen Javed Ali Khan.
Local residents threatened to intensify their agitation and if necessary hit the streets to put pressure on the state government for according NAC status to Binjharpur. The NAC status would pave the way for development that has been stalled for more than three decades, they said. "We have all requisites to fulfil the requirements to get NAC status. But we are deprived of development. Hence we demand the status as soon as possible," said Saifur Rehman.
"If the NAC status to Binjharpur is not given soon, we will intensify our agitation and if necessary hit the street," she said.
