Other States - Orissa   

Workshop to expedite peace process in Kandhamal district

BERHAMPUR: A workshop of elected panchayat body members was organised in Kandhamal district on Monday evening to expedite the peace process in the district.

This workshop was jointly organised by the Kandhamal district administration and ‘Orissa Sadbhavana Abhijana’.

This workshop was chaired by the Project Director of District Rural Development Agency (DRDA), Pradip Kumar Rath. One hundred and twenty sarpanchs, 18 Zilla Parishad members, 12 block chairpersons attended this workshop. Zilla Parishad president Sakuntala Mallik and its vice-president Netra Manseth also attended. The Sub-Collectors of Baliguda and Phulbani represented the administrative side.

The elected panchayat level leaders discussed the problems in the path of return of peace in their area in detail. They were provided suggestions to improve communal harmony and economic status of affected people in their areas.

Most sarpanchs were of the opinion that the NREFS works have to be taken up on a large scale in all areas as the communal riots had also affected the agriculture drastically.

Both kharif and rabi crops could not be taken up properly due to the communal tension in the district.

Mr Rath said he advised the panchayat leaders to make efforts so that families would return to their villages from the relief camps. He suggested that sarpanch and zilal parishad members form local village level groups in affected areas with senior people from all communities and go and meet families who were still living in relief camps. “These panchayat level groups should try to bring back confidence in the minds of victims of communal violence. The villagers and panchayat bodies should realize that real security comes from communal harmony in their area rather than from the presence of police,” he said. All panchayats which did not have proper peace committees with representation of all sections of society were advised to form them as early as possible.

Printer friendly page  
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Stories in this Section

Dance fete
AAI seeks enhanced security
Rs. 29 cr. for khadi products
Workshop to expedite peace process in Kandhamal district
Concern over politicisation of land for college
Environmentalist stresses lifestyle change to check the menace of climate change
Rs. 22 lakhs for NEACP programme
Youth electrocuted
4 gangsters held
ITI pass-outs launch hunger fast

Copyright © 2009, The Hindu. Republication or redissemination of the contents of this screen are expressly prohibited without the written consent of The Hindu