Sheragada residents demand Notified Area Council status: Bandh observed in Ganjam

Berhampur: Residents of Sheragada in Ganjam district observed a dawn-to-dusk bandh on Saturday, demanding that the block headquarters town be declared a Notified Area Council (NAC).In response to the bandh call, vehicles stayed off the roads, while shops, business establishments educational and financial institutions remained closed.“Security was tightened in the town with the deployment of adequate forces. There was no untoward incident during the bandh,” said Barendra Sial, inspector in-charge, Sheragada police station.Sheragada falls under Hinjili assembly constituency, represented for years by former chief minister Naveen Patnaik.

During a public meeting on Feb 14 last year, Naveen had announced that Sheragada panchayat would be upgraded to an NAC. When CM Mohan Charan Majhi announced new civic bodies on Aug 31, Sheragada was not included, leaving residents disappointed.“Sheragada has fulfilled almost all criteria to be declared an NAC. We urge the CM to declare it as an NAC,” said Meghanad Das, a bandh supporter.Sameer Pradhan, a resident, said, “Considering the sentiments of the local people, the govt needs to declare Sheragada as an NAC town by merging some of the adjoining panchayats.”

On Aug 31, Majhi announced seven new municipalities by upgrading NACs, which included five from Ganjam — Aska, Bhanjanagar, Chhatrapur, Kabisurya Nagar and Polasara. Out of 16 new NACs across the state, Patrapur and Jagannath Prasad are from Ganjam.With the additions, Ganjam now has 20 urban local bodies, the highest in Odisha. These comprise Berhampur Municipal Corporation (BeMC), 6 municipalities and 13 NACs.