Chaos in Amarpur BDO's chamber: Pradhans from 10 GPs stage protest

Chaos erupted in the office of BDO Amarpur after Panchayat Pradhans of as many as 10 villages located under the jurisdiction of Amarpur Rural Development Block on Tuesday confronted the civil servant and accused him of being ignorant towards the needs and requirements of the villagers in their respective areas.

The confrontation further escalated to a heated altercation and aggrieved at the responses of the BDO one of the panchayat pradhans in the fit of rage threw a glass of water lying on the table in front of him. However, none of the parties could reach a consensus as both sides kept accusing each other of being ignorant of their own respective duties. 

Newly appointed BDO of Amarpur RD Block Sanjib Debnath rejected the allegations raised by the local body chiefs and asserted that he had physically inspected the several projects in their areas. He said that no estimates forwarded from the Panchayat level have been withheld or rejected. 

“Pradhans should keep an eye on the development projects in their areas. If they are not aware of the developments in their areas, no one else could be blamed for that,” he said, adding that he was not making any allegations against anyone but only clarified his position. 

Lata Deb, one of the aggrieved Panchayat Praddhans, on the other hand, alleged that ever since former BDO Utpal Das was transferred from Amarpur the development works at the rural level lost its pace. 

“Amarpur RD block received national acclaim because of only one reason, the projects undertaken for rural development and sustainable growth had been implemented at the right time. But, after the new BDO Sanjib Debnath took over charge of office, breaks were pressed on the wheels of development. We have forwarded multiple estimates for approval but due to unknown reasons, they are not being approved by the BDO office,” she said. 

According to her, the administrative apathy was dealing heavy blows on their image. “We have to face the villagers everyday. We have to listen to their problems. If basic issues related to water, shelter and agriculture don’t get resolved at the earliest, how can people trust us,” she added. 

On being asked whether the local MLA was aware of the situation, he said, “This is a problem of the rural governance and hence we have informed the chairperson of the Panchayat Samiti. If we don’t get any results, we shall move forward and certainly inform the higher authorities.”