Delimitation Commission faces peoples wrath in Western Orissa

Sambalpur, May 26 (UNI) The Delimitation Commission of India has earned the wrath of the people from ten districts of Western Orissa on the formation of new boundaries for the Assembly and Parliamentary constituencies.

Most of the people, who appeared before the Commission yesterday and today, had expressed their discontentment on formation of the new constituencies describing the whole process of redrawing the boundaries as an arbitrary use of power. They submitted their argument in support of their stand during a public hearing by the Commission.

The public hearing witnessed differences of opinion among the people when Brajarajnagar MLA Anup Sai appreciated the proposal to keep his constituency and Jharsuguda with new Bargarh Parliamentary constituency.

On the other hand, Ram Sagar Sahu, a leader appealed to keep Sambalpur and Deogarh parliamentary constituency intact. Saintala MLA Kalikesh Singhdeo expressed dissatisfaction over reduction of assembly seats in Bolangir district from six to five.

But his political opponent Balgopal Mishra alleged that the Saintala Assembly constituency has been reserved for Scheduled Caste intentionally.

Mr Brundaban Majhi, MLA, Laikera, expressed concern over the decline in the number of reserved seats for Scheduled Tribes in Orissa from the existing 34 to 33.

Most of the people who appeared before the Commission alleged that natural barriers and socio-cultural coherence of places were taken into consideration while drawing boundaries of the new assembly segments.

People of Dhenkanal and Angul also expressed concern over the new configuration of Pallahara, Athmallik and Talcher constituencies and appealed to the Commission to have a second look at these constituencies before finalising the list.

Several leaders from Bargarh had protested the deletion of Melchhamunda constituency and addition of Attabira as a new one. Both ruling and opposition parties protested the new formula describing the method of of identification of the new constituency as unjustified.

DCI Chairman Kuldip Singh was absent during the two day public hearings.The Commission's member N Gopalswami, Orissa Chief Electoral Officer Alaka Panda, Orissa Election Commissioner Sanjiv Hota conducted the hearing. All the associate members who had resigned from their post stayed away the public hearing.

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