'Save Bolangir' rally evokes good response

By Prafulla Das

BOLANGIR, DEC. 13. The Orissa Gana Parishad, the political forum recently formed by the expelled Biju Janata Dal leader, Mr. Bijoy Mohapatra, got another shot in its arms with its first ever rally in western Orissa recording a massive turnout here today.

The rally was organised to protest against the Government's apathy towards Bolangir district. It demanded that the entire district be declared drought-hit and a sum of Rs. 220 crores be released for the district as drought relief to save the people from starvation and migration.

Thousands of people from the drought-hit region attended the protest rally which formalised the OGP's presence in western Orissa and boosted the morale of Mr. Mohapatra who has taken up the cudgels against the BJD president and Chief Minister, Mr. Naveen Patnaik. The OGP's first rally in Bhubaneswar was a big success on October 29. Before the beginning of today's meeting, a demonstration was held outside the District Collector's office where the OGP leaders handed over a memorandum to the District Collector, Ms. CTM Suguna.

The memorandum, addressed to the State Governor, urged the State Government to save Bolangir district from facing drought at regular intervals and help the poverty stricken population.

The memorandum further demanded that irrigation facility be provided to the farmers of Bolangir by taking up new irrigation projects and completing the ongoing ones. At least 50 per cent of the land in the districts should be irrigated within five years, the note said. Only three per cent of land in Bolangir has irrigation cover at present.

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Section  : Other States
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