JMM slams govt's apathy for resource rich Mayurbhanj

Baripada, Aug 26 (UNI) The Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) today slammed the BJD-BJP government in Orissa for failing to set up any major industry in the mineral rich Mayurbhanj district in its eight- year regime.

At a massive rally organised here, the party demanded the establishment of a government medical college at Baripada, a permanent bench of Orissa High Court Revenue Divisional Commissioner's office and early completion of the ongoing Baripada-Bangriposi gauge conversion project.

The railway project, the leaders said, could provide an alternative rail route for the people of Orissa to travel to Kolkata and other metropolitan centres like Nagpur or Mumbai.

The JMM leaders claimed that the huge congregation at the rally was an indication that the party's support base did not suffer much erosion despite strong opposition to party supremo Shibu Soren's demand for inclusion of three Orissa districts with Jharkhand.

Thousands of tribals dressed in their traditional attires, carrying weapons like bows, arrows and 'tangias' (hunting axe) thronged the Chhau Padia to attend the rally.

Earlier, the slogan shouting tribals marched in a procession through the main thoroughfares of the town amid the beating of nearly six-foot high drum (called Dhhak) with drummers standing around it and generating louder sounds.

The speakers at the rally alleged that Mayurbhanj district could not get adequate representation due to the apathy and negligence of the ruling BJD and BJP in Orissa.

After delimitation, the district's total number of constituencies had been reduced from ten to nine and the Baripada Assembly constituency had been reserved for the scheduled tribes only.

Prominent among those who addressed meeting included Mayurbhanj MP Sudam Marandi who is also the president of the Orissa State Unit of the JMM, Baripada MLA Bimal Lochan Das, Bahalda MLA Prahlad Purty and Mayurbhanj Zilla Parishad President Sarapati Tudu.

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