Nabarangpur: Four families at Uv-11 village under Umerkote block of Nabarangpur district have been socially boycotted by the village committee for allegedly acquiring government land for shelter.
According to reports, families of Paritosh Mandal, Goutam Mandal, Biren Haldar and Deepak Haldar have been shunned from the village over building permanent shelter on the land they were earlier given for business purpose.
Earlier, the Uv-11 village committee, which is claimed to be created for arbitrations of matters related to village and villagers, had allotted land to the aforementioned families on the village main road for temporary shops for business purpose. However, with passing of time, the families reportedly began to build pucca houses for residential purpose, alleged one of the village committee members.
Thereafter, the village group denied the families to stop further construction and took the matter to the Uv-11 Sarpanch of the area. After deliberate considerations, the village committee enforced boycott against all the families from the social mainstream for not evicting the government land.
In the complaint, Biren Mandal named village committee members as responsible for ostracising his family and others for not abiding to the arbitrary order passed by the village committee.
"We were given just 10 days to vacate the place and later barred from entering the village for failing do so. We reached out to the police and they had called for an amicable resolve. However, we are yet to be included in the social fold for which we are undergoing immense mental trauma," said Mandal.
Bimal Ray, the president of the village committee refuted the allegations levelled by the families and said, "We never barred them to enter village or use public wells and tubewells. They are only denied to participate in the village cultural programme like marriage and puja ceremonies."
"We are the custodians of our village properties. We have every right to deny use of public lands if anyone encroaches," added Ray.
On the other hand, Himachal Majhi, Tehsildar of Umarkote would convene a meeting between the villagers and ostracised families on December 10 to resolve the problem amicably.
(Edited By Suryakant Jena)