Defying COVID-19 restrictions, hundreds of tribal people in the remote Swabhiman Anchal in Odisha’s Malkangiri held a public meeting (prajameli) at Bokuli village on Wednesday demanding basic amenities and panchayat reorganisation.

People from around 25 villages of Nakamamudi, Panasput, Andrapaly, Jodambo panchayats of Swabhiman Anchal took part in the meeting without masks and ignoring social distancing norms.

At the protest meet, they reiterated their old demands before the administration. These demands included bifurcation of the Nakamamudi panchayat for formation of a new panchayat at Muduliguda. The Nakamamudi panchayat has 54 villages. But due to lack of a proper road, inhabitants of some villages of this panchayat have to travel by boats to reach the panchayat headquarters to collect PDS ration and for other purposes.

They alleged that work on the road to Nakamamudi was going too slow. They wanted better road connectivity and provision of basic amenities such as drinking water and better health facilities. They complained that teachers and workers were not attending to their duty at the schools and anganwadi centres in the area.

On October 23, 2019, tribals of this region of Swabhiman Anchal held a prajameli at Muduliguda raising the same demands.