Malkangiri District Congress Committee Protests at Block Office, Issues Demand Letters to Governor
By Addanki Iswar R.
Malkangiri ,18 August,2023 :-Members of the Malkangiri District Congress Committee staged a protest today, encircling the Malkangiri Block Office while presenting a series of pressing demands to the governor. Chanting slogans and holding banners, the Congress party convened at the Block Office via the main road, where they handed over a memorandum to the Block Development Officer.
The demands outlined a range of critical issues affecting the region. To address the prevailing challenges, the committee requested to stop a 15 to 50 % reduction in the name of PC at the block level works. They also advocated for direct allocation of Rs. 50 lakh grant to each Gram Panchayat under the Naveen Odisha scheme . The distribution and expenditure of these funds would then be determined by the Gram Sabha.
Voicing concerns over the state’s policies, the committee highlighted unemployment, women’s harassment, and incidents of rape and murder. Their demands included immediate actions to fill the 226,559 vacant government positions and the conversion of temporary state employees into permanent staff.
Further, the congress members urged for fair pricing and availability of essential commodities such as petrol, diesel, gas, kerosene, and cooking oil. They demanded a halt to rising import prices, unethical crop sales, and called for the establishment of cold storage facilities in every block. The protestors also stressed the need to resolve electricity-related issues, including low voltage, power cuts, and unreasonable tariff hikes.
The committee highlighted concerns about the well-being of Scheduled Tribes and Backward Classes, emphasizing that their rights should not be undermined. They sought stronger financial empowerment for women and a transparent beneficiary selection process for the Prime Minister’s Housing Scheme.
Leading the demonstration were prominent figures including District Congress President Govinda Patra, Parshuram Bhakta, P. Kesu Rao, Pranakrishna Mandal, G. Srinivas Rao, and Padma Pangi. The protest served as a platform to amplify the voices of the people and bring attention to the pressing issues faced by the community.
As the protest concluded, the Malkangiri District Congress Committee expressed hope that their demands would be seriously considered and addressed by the state authorities.
