Bastar:In a peculiar move, people of 15 wards of Bastar Nagar Panchayat have been demanding to convert Nagar Panchayat into Gram Panchayat for the last four years.
In a democratic system where Gram Panchayats are considered the smallest unit of development and Nagar Panchayat a larger unit, the villagers say the move was illegal as no consent was taken from them back in 2009.
Whereas the rule says that only after the passage from the gram sabha in the fifth schedule, the administration can take a decision of converting Gram Panchayat to Nagar Panchayat.
According to the people, the Gram Panchayat in Bastar was upgraded to a Nagar Panchayat but instead of increasing people's convenience, it decreased it. That's why they demand to go to the old system.
They have also blocked the National Highway so many time in order to make case for themselves.
Talking to ETV Bharat, Bodhram Baghel, a villager said no development has happened, our tribal customs and traditions are completely being diluted. We used to celebrate many Teej-festivals, but due to the formation of Nagar Panchayat, all the people of the village are unable to gather tgether now.
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The villagers said that 11 years have passed since the area became a Nagar Panchayat, there's hardly any development. Villagers are struggling for basic amenities.
Ganesh Ram Kashyap says that arbitrary tax is being collected from them after the formation of Nagar Panchayat. House tax, garbage tax are all being taken, but no development work is being done in lieu of this. People are saying that how can they pay this much tax? The villagers say that due to the Nagar Panchayat, the future of their children has also gone into balance.