Border dispute: Bengal sign board comes up in Odisha village

BHUBANESWAR: At loggerheads over border dispute for the last three decades, the West Bengal government seems to have adopted a new strategy to get hold of bordering Odisha villages.

In its latest attempt, the neighbouring State authorities have put up a welcome sign board in the middle of Tukpalasia village under Morada tehsil of Mayurbhanj district sparking off a strong resentment among the local residents.

The sign board put up by Public Works Department (PWD) of West Bengal carries messages on both English and Bengali. The messages read: Welcome to Jhargram District and Jhargram Zilla Apnake Swagat Janachhe (Jhargram district welcomes you).

Tukpalasia under Palashmundali panchayat is a medium size village having a population of around 700. Since it is located on the Odisha-Bengal border, locals said the neighbouring State has been attempting to claim rights over the village since long.

“A group of people came in a four-wheeler and erected the sign board, nearly 500 metres from the actual border. The villagers could not protest out of fear. Since it is a border village, most of its residents depend on nearby Dhumsahi market which belongs to Bengal,” said State JMM secretary Kalinga Keshari Jena, who visited the spot on Tuesday.

It is highhandedness of Bengal authorities who have been eyeing precious land of Odisha and claiming rights over it, Jena said and warned that the outfit would start a movement in the border villages to protest such moves in future, if the administration fails to initiate any action on the issue.  

When contacted, Special Secretary of Revenue Department Sanatan Mallik feigned ignorance about it. However, he assured that he would direct Mayurbhanj Collector to inquire into it and send a report on Wednesday.

The neighbouring State had earlier made several attempts to encroach villages in Balasore district leading to tussles with residents of border villages. A few months ago, Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee at a public meeting in Digha had claimed that Udaypur beach (of Balasore) was discovered by Bengal and they had planned to develop it.

Odisha has about 38 villages, including 35 of Balasore and three of Mayurbhanj, which share border with Bengal. While 10 villages were acquired by Odisha during the division of States in 1930, Bengal took possessions of eight villages. The dispute, however, arose during the land settlement in late 1980s.

Last year, at a high level meeting of senior officials of both the States here, it was decided that the land issues pending since long between the two States would be resolved by delineation of boundary in scientific and systematic way. But the delineation of boundary has not been done yet.