Balangir: Several organisations have extended support to the demand for a separate Titilagarh district with the relay dharna in support of the demand entering the tenth day on Wednesday.

Koshal State Co-ordination Committee and Mother Teresa Seva Samiti of Titilagarh on Wednesday extended support and joined the agitation for a separate district on Wednesday. The two organisations led by the convener of Koshal State Co-ordination Committee Pramod Kumar Mishra and Mother Teresa Seva Samiti president Ranju Raimon jointly took out a rally from Madn Jaal Chouk that covered key places of the town before culminating at the sub-collector's office where a group of agitators are on a dharna to demand a separate district for Titilagarh. A youth mass organisation began its dharna in front of the Titilagarh sub-collector's office to push for the demand of a separate district before being joined by several other organisations.

Mishra supported the people of the area in their agitation and said the demand was just and genuine. "The demand of the people of the area is genuine as Titilagarh boasts everything that is needed for a district. We are with them," he said. Mishra said his organisation always advocated smaller states and districts. "Smaller the unit, better the administration. This is what democracy is all about," he said.

Raimon said: "We need to learn from our past mistakes. In the past, the representatives we elected have blindsided us. We need to learn from it."

The activists said with five blocks out of the 14 in the district, 110 gram panchayats out of the 296, two out of the four urban bodies and a population in excess of five lakh, Titilagarh sub-division qualified to become a separate district.

Fishermen killed

Two inland fishermen were electrocuted at a village in Kendrapara district as they came in contact with a live wire. The incident occurred in Ayaba village in Sadar police limits. A live wire had snapped and had fallen into the pond where fishermen duo had spread nets to catch fish. As the water body was charged with high voltage current, they were killed on the spot.