Digha/Balasore: An old border dispute over a stretch of beach road skirting Digha on the left and Odisha on the right flared up on Tuesday when a team of officials, including cops, of the neighbouring state demolished a 25ft high hoarding that the Bengal irrigation department had set up.
Udaipur, a popular tourist beach at Digha in Bengal's East Midnapore district, has a 3km-long stretch that branches off the NH-116B. The road leads up to Udaipur beach, with Digha on its left and Odisha to its right.
Bengal and Odisha had claimed ownership of the 3km-long stretch and the surrounding areas over several years but no conclusive settlement has been reached.
In 2013, when the Bengal government announced its plans to reconstruct and refurbish the road, the Odisha government stopped it on legal grounds pertaining to ownership.
In October 2016, the Bengal government stopped Odisha's effort to construct public toilets on the adjoining beach. Officials of both states had reached an agreement that no such initiatives would be taken till the border dispute was settled.
What had enraged Odisha was a 25ft-high hoarding that the Bengal government installed on the disputed stretch in June to announce a beautification project off the road.
An Odisha government official said that shortly after the hoarding was erected in June, the district magistrate of Balasore wrote to his counterpart in East Midnapore demanding that the structure be taken down. He wrote the structure was illegal as Bengal had violated the 2017 agreement.
The East Midnapore district magistrate had allegedly forwarded the letter to irrigation department officials, but they did not take any action.
"The collector of Balasore had urged his counterpart in East Midnapore to remove the signage about a month ago. Although the latter had agreed, yet it was not complied with. Since it was hurting the sentiments of Balasore, it was razed on Tuesday," said Balasore sub-collector Nilu Mohapatra.
Bengal irrigation minister Soumen Mahapatra said: "The Odisha government took an illegal measure on Tuesday. Things could have happened much more peacefully and diplomatically. I have informed the chief minister."
East Midnapore's additional superintendent of police (rural) Indrajit Basu said: "We have recorded the entire incident and will report to our higher authorities."
When the standoff ensued at 10am, the BDO of Bengal's Ramnagar block I, Anupam Bag, request the officials of Odisha to resolve the matter amicably. However, the demolition was completed by 11am.
