Congress workers demonstrate against power-cut, water scarcity

Malkangiri (Odisha), May 23: In protest against power-cut, water scarcity and inadequate LPG supply, Congress workers, mostly women, on Saturday held a demonstratation in front of Malkangiri district collectorate here today.

Slogan shouting women, holding empty water pots on head and lanterns on their hand, marched through the main thorough fares from the bus-stand before reaching the collectorate.

The demonstration was led by Congress district unit President Gobinda Patra in which former MP Pradip Majhi also participated.

They submitted a memorandum through the collector addressed to chief minister Naveen Patnaik and OPCC president Prasad Harichandan seeking immediate amelioration of the perenial problems engulfing the district.

The leaders said though the district is home to a mega hydro power generation station and helps to meet its power requirements the people in district are deprived of power supply in this searing heat. The district has been experiencing over 42 degree celcious temperature for the last four consecutive days.

Besides, the district headquarter town was facing severe water scarcity with no provision for water supply to some wards till date, the demonstrators said adding the district has only one LPG distributor and consumers were made to wait for months to get a refill.

"Unless the authorities fulfil the demands for water supply, electricity and an additional LPG distributor in the district immediately, Congress party will resort to indefite agitation", Patra said.

Block development officer (BDO), Malkangiri, Biranchi Narayan Darwan, who received the memorandum in the absence of the collector said he would take up the matter with the authorities.

PTI