Villagers suffer as ghat rights dispute disrupts ferry service

JAGATSINGHPUR: Communication woes have compounded for thousands of people of Zillanasi panchayat in Jagatsinghpur district and Tikhiri panchayat in Kendrapada district with ferry services at Zilladiha ghat on Paika river remaining closed since the last one week due to clash between two groups of fishermen. The fishermen of of Zillanasi and Tikhiri are at loggerheads over legal rights of the ghat.While tension continues to grip the disputed ghat since violence broke out on last Friday between two groups of warring fishermen, the district administration including Revenue officials are looking the other way. Moreover, ruling party leaders instigating the warring fishermen to use the ghat forcibly has aggravated the situation.

As per reports, fishermen of Tikhiri were using Zilladiha ferry ghat which came under the jurisdiction of Cuttack district administration. After bifurcation of Cuttack district in 1993, the ghat came under Zillanasi panchayat of Kujang tehsil in Jagatsinghpur district. Later, fishermen of Zillanasi took control of the ghat. About five years back, process to lease out the ferry ghat to local fishermen on auction basis was started to raise revenue for Zillanasi panchayat.

Zillanasi Sarpanch Pramod Kumar Swain said as the ghat comes under the panchayat as identified by Kujang Tehsildar, the auction process has been started. Besides, the district administration has also given licence to two boatmen of Zillanasi to start ferry services on the ghat. However, fishermen of Tikhiri with help of ruling party leaders including the local legislator are claiming legal rights of the ghat and are resorting to violence, Swain alleged.

Locals further alleged that school students are facing lot of difficulties to cross Paika river in absence of ferry services while nearly 3,000 farmers of Zillanasi, who have farm fields in different villages of Mahakalapada tehsil in Kendrapada district, are unable to to harvest paddy crop due to the stalemate. 
Kujang Tehsildar Basudev Satpathy said as nearly 72 acres of Paika river come under Zillanasi panchayat, the villagers are claiming their rights on the ferry ghat. Dispute has arisen because both Zillanasi and Tikhiri panchayats have started leasing out the ghat to fishermen through auction. “Steps are being taken to resolve the dispute amicably between the two warring groups of fishermen in presence of police and Revenue officials of both the districts,” he added. 

On the other hand, Tikhiri Sarpanch Amarendra Barik said, “We have been using the ghat since the last 100 years though it does not come under the jurisdiction of our panchayat now. By the direction of Kendrapada Sub-Collector, we have leased out the ghat through auction to local fishermen.” 
Meanwhile, in-charge Revenue Divisional Commissioner (Central) PV Swamy has called a meeting between the two warring fishermen factions on Saturday to resolve the stalemate.

On last Friday, tension flared up after some miscreants of Tikhiri pelted stones at passengers who were crossing Paika river. Boatmen Gaganbihari Behera and Prabhakar Behera as well as fishermen Bhabagrahi Behera and Anadi Behera sustained injuries in the attack. Kujang police are investigating the matter basing on the complaint of Gaganbihari.