Ramgarh: The state rural development department proposed to bifurcate Gola block in Ramgarh district to create Barlanga block with four panchayats — Upper Barga (under which falls chief minister Hemant Soren’s native house in Nemra), Barlanga, Saragdih and Navadih.
Block pramukh of Gola, Jaleshwar Mahto said, “The 31-member committee passed a resolution to induct four panchayats while induction Betulkala, Sangrampur and Chokad panchayats were opposed to.”
Ramgarh deputy commissioner Sandeep Singh said the district has been asked to prepare a report for the proposed block. “We will send the report to the government soon and the block development officer (BDO) has held a meeting to seek consent on the bifurcation of the block.”
“Gola currently has 21 panchayats and for the creation of new block, the government have set some criteria, which include a minimum of 1.25 lakh population and at least 18 panchayats,” said a senior official in the district headquarters. He added that four panchayats which the Gola committee approved approximately have a population fo 26,000, which does not fulfil the criteria and more panchayats will be needed for the new block.