Goemkarponn desk
BHOMA: The villagers’ strong opposition to the National Highway (NH) widening caused a heated confrontation during the Bhoma-Adcolna gram sabha, which was marked by high tension.
A ten-year dispute between the villagers and the Sarpanch over the recent land acquisition notice from the Central Government necessitated the presence of police to keep the peace.
The Bhoma gram sabha vehemently opposed the proposed NH widening, especially the part that would have extended through the center of Bhoma village, out of fear for its destruction and the displacement of multiple houses.
Villagers who said they were never consulted on the issue and who were worried about possibly losing their homes questioned Sarpanch Damodar Naik extensively.
Sarpanch Naik responded by telling the villagers not to worry and stating that all of the panchayat members support the locals.
Two groups of villagers got into an argument, which further heightened tensions. Members emphasized that they lacked ownership documentation for numerous homes situated on landlord-owned properties and demanded that the Central government withdraw its notice of land acquisition.
The villagers were not satisfied, even though Sarpanch Naik brought up the PWD’s guarantee that no houses would be destroyed.
In addition to the disagreement over the widening of the road, the villagers demanded that the ongoing work on the panchayat ground be finished.
In addition, they opposed street vendors in Banastarim and called for the demolition of scrapyards, citing the negative effects on the vendors at the recently built Banastarim market.
