At a time when people of various regions in Odisha are vocal over their demand for district status, people of Nilagiri in Balasore district have reportedly intensified their protest demanding district status for the area, which was once a princely state before Independence.
Meanwhile, a group of people united under the Nilagiri Zilla Action Committee has raised the pitch for the cause and adopted a novel way of agitation.
Pressing for the demand, former Nilagiri MLA Chittaranjan Sarangi and several of his supporters turned beggars on the streets to raise funds required for the agitation. His begging initiative has not only stoked curiosity among people but also drew their support.
Reports said many activists of the action committee led by its convener Sarangi on Wednesday visited shops, houses, and commercial establishments in Nilagiri town seeking financial help to hold a massive padayatra from Nilagiri to Balasore on November 7 to exhort the government to accord district status to Nilagiri.
After the padayatra, a delegation of the action committee will submit a memorandum with a demand for district status to the Balasore Collector.
Speaking to the media, the ex-legislator alleged that the Nilagiri region is still reeling due to a lack of development even 77 years after Independence.
Voicing his anguish over the issue, Sarangi observed, "77 years have passed since Independence, but what Nilagiri has gained? The people of Nilagiri are now united to strongly fight for their rightful demand for a separate district so as to see faster development."