Protest against West Bengal meddling on Balasore border

BARIPADA: Tension between Odisha and West Bengal refuses to die down. With the tussle over Digha sea beach still fresh, errors in Odia spellings on banners put up by the neighbouring Government in bordering areas of Balasore district has earned the ire of locals. They have demanded immediate correction of the wrongly spelt words.

The banners were put up during the three-day visit of West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on December 4 to the bordering district earlier this month. The CM had visited Sahabajipur under Bhograi block and held meetings before returning.

Soon after she left, hundreds of people of Jaleswar, Bhograi and Baliapal blocks had staged protests over the issue but this allegedly failed to wake up the State Government. With the banners still hanging from trees, and finding a place on the walls of different buildings, the activists of Utkal Sammilani have decided to bring the matter to the notice of Mamata seeking immediate correction, said Aditya Kumar Patra of the Sammilani.

With such hoardings emerging in the area, the residents of the border areas are sceptical of West Bengal Government’s intentions. This comes at a time when West Bengal has been accused of encroaching the land in Odisha.

The Irrigation and Waterways Department of the neighbouring State had in August erected a signboard in Udaypur area which read, ‘Digha Sea Beach Protection and Beautification Work’. The district administration had pulled down the signboard on August 28 after strong protests by locals and some socio-cultural activists.

That was the third attempt of the West Bengal Government after installing hoarding in the bordering areas of Odisha.  

Locals fear that if Odisha Government does not intervene in the matter immediately and bring it to the notice of West Bengal Government, the time is not far when the neighbour will exercise its power on people residing in border areas of Balasore district.