Latest news with #Sarpanch
Hans India
2 days ago
- Politics
- Hans India
Stone mafias damage Dhunkapada's sacred ecology
Berhampur: The tranquil hills of Ganjam now resonate with the rumble of a brewing storm—not of nature, but of protest. Amid allegations of unchecked illegal stone mining and heritage devastation, a powerful united voice has emerged from the grassroots. Villagers of Dhunkapada in Ganjam district, led by Arati Devi, the former Sarpanch who revolutionised the panchayat system in Odisha, are raising their voice against illegal stone mining. Following an inquiry ordered by the State Revenue Minister into rampant stone mafia activities, a report was submitted by the district administration. But Arati alleged that the report was one-sided. Arati has accused the stone mafia of not only destroying the ecological sanctity of five surrounding hills, but also crippling a lifeline she once built—a Rs 25 lakh reservoir and canal system that irrigated the fields of over 500 farming families. This heritage system, she says, now lies choked. The flow of water from the reservoir to the agricultural fields has been diverted as the mafias have filled the canal with boulders to facilitate the movement of their trucks. The once-sacred Giri Gobardhan temple, revered by local farmers, teeters on collapse, she alleges. The local farmers used to offer flattened rice and jaggery to Lord Giri Gobardhan with a belief that there will be rain to facilitate farming. The national bird peacock is dying under the impact of illegal blasting. Arati and the villagers took up this issue with Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi at the Grievance Cell in Bhubaneswar. She demanded action within seven days or else she said they will stage an indefinite dharna at Raj Bhavan. Her anguish was palpable as she recounted ecological destruction such as illegal blasts, dying peacocks and poached blackbuck calves which were once protected in this landscape. 'This isn't just about stones,' Arati Devi said. 'It's about the soul of our land. About our water, our wildlife, our worship and our farmers' future,' she said. The question looms: Will the Chief Minister act decisively. Or will the silence of the hills deepen into despair? The fate of a community, its culture and its ecology hangs in the balance.
Time of India
4 days ago
- Politics
- Time of India
HC asks mining secy to file personal affidavit to PIL in illegal mining case
Raipur: The Chhattisgarh High Court directed the Secretary of the Mining Department to file a personal affidavit in response to a public interest litigation (PIL) concerning illegal stone mining on govt land. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now The mining allegedly was ongoing for years. The directive came during the hearing of a PIL filed by Kholbahara, son of a former Sarpanch, through counsel Yogesh Chandra. The petition alleges that Rajeshwar Sahu, son of former Sarpanch, and others were illegally mining minor minerals (stone) on govt land at Khasra No. 16/1, with an area of 14.2 hectares, in Nandeli village, Jaijaipur tehsil, Sakti district. Villagers repeatedly complained to the district and tehsil administrations about the illegal activity. Following a lack of action, Kholbahara previously filed a writ petition. While an initial notice was issued, the court dismissed the petition on June 30, 2025, stating that the petitioner was not personally affected and the matter pertained to public interest. The court granted liberty to file a PIL. The current PIL was filed under Article 226 of the Constitution through counsel Chandra. A division bench of Chief Justice Ramesh Sinha and Justice Vibhu Dutt Guru heard the matter. The petitioner's counsel informed the court that the respondents were gradually filling the site after receiving the court's notice, stressing the need for action. The Advocate General sought time to file a response in the case, which the court granted. Chief Justice Sinha instructed the Secretary of the Mining Department to submit a personal affidavit in the matter.
Indian Express
19-07-2025
- Politics
- Indian Express
No-confidence motion against Sarpanch passed in Kolhapur village
Kasba Beed, a village in Kolhapur, passed a no-confidence motion against its sarpanch belonging to the Shiv Sena. Uttam Varute, the sarpanch elected in 2023, was removed from his post in the motion passed on Thursday. Of the eleven gram panchayat members, 10 were from Congress while one was elected on a Shiv Sena ticket. They brought about the no-confidence motion due to dissatisfaction with the work of the sarpanch, with the lone Shiv Sena member also recently joining the Congress. The Maharashtra Village Panchayats (Amendment) Act, 2022 allows for the gram panchayat to remove the sarpanch by passing a motion of no-confidence, which has to be initiated by three-fourth of the members. The motion then has to be ratified by the Gram Sabha. This motion can only be bought in after the sarpanch completes two years in office. The act reads, 'After the motion of no-confidence against the directly elected Sarpanch is carried by a majority of not less than three-fourth of the total number of the members, who are for the time being entitled to sit and vote at any meeting of the panchayat, then the same shall be ratified by the Gram Sabha, in Varute, however, said that he was removed without any reason and he made all decisions with consensus. 'Without any reason they have removed me as the Sarpanch. I have not indulged in any corruption or anything like that. I have taken all members along and given work to everybody. They have never even opposed me before this. They are making the allegations now but they did not oppose me before this. I am not opposed to this law that allows for the Sarpanch to be removed but this has been used unjustly before me. I will contest the election again,' he said. Mukund Patil, a resident of the village, said, 'When elections were held for the public to vote, there were two symbols — a circle for those in favour of the no-confidence and a triangle to reject it. There are 5,000 people in the village, of whom 3,200 are eligible to vote. A total of 1763 voters turned up. Those who wanted to vote would had to register between 8 and 11 am. Then, voting took place between 11 am and 4 pm. This wasn't EVM but the old-style ballot paper. When the results were declared, it was found that 1022 were in favour of the no-confidence.'
Time of India
12-07-2025
- Politics
- Time of India
Villagers plant paddy on road to protest years of neglect
Bhopal: Fed up with official apathy, residents of Papoundh village in Shahdol district staged an unusual protest on Thursday by planting paddy saplings along a muddy, potholed road to highlight its dilapidated condition. The demonstration aimed to draw attention to their long-pending demand for road construction. The protest comes in the wake of a similar viral video from Sidhi district, where locals took to symbolic gestures to highlight civic neglect. In Papoundh, villagers said they requested authorities for years to repair or construct the road, but their appeals were repeatedly ignored. Another villager claimed that not a single trolley of gravel was laid on the road since Independence. Residents said the poor condition of the road makes daily travel extremely difficult, especially for schoolchildren. They warned that if their demands continue to go unheard, they will intensify their protest and take their message to the ballot box in the upcoming elections. "I was trying to get the gravel road built for quite some time. The construction of gravel roads was stopped by the govt for nearly a year. Now the process of sanctioning such roads has started, but the sanction is done at district level and monsoon has already started," Papound village panchayat Sarpanch, Vineet Kumar Chaturvedi, told TOI.
Time of India
11-07-2025
- Politics
- Time of India
Temple demolition in Alwar sparks row
1 2 Alwar: In a contentious development from Alwar district's Umrain block, the demolition of a temple by the forest department has triggered protests among local residents. The incident, which occurred Thursday, has led to accusations of religious sentiment violation and damage to a Lord Hanuman idol. Opposition leader Tikaram Jully led a protest Friday morning at the demolition site, demanding immediate reconstruction of the temple by the state govt. Jully criticised the forest department's actions, stating it should have conducted proper investigations regarding land ownership before proceeding with the demolition. According to local resident Suwalal, the temple site holds significant historical and religious importance, dating back approximately 100 years. He emphasised that the location has served as a rest stop for Devnarayan pilgrims for over 25 years. A new Devnarayan temple, constructed six months ago, was initially halted by the forest department before being demolished Thursday. Sarpanch representative Bhavindra Patel warned of potential protests if the govt fails to rebuild the temple, placing the responsibility for any future unrest on the authorities. However, Additional SP Priyanka Raghuvanshi maintained that the forest department only removed illegal encroachments and did not damage the original temple site. The incident has created a rift between local authorities and residents, with villagers threatening to launch intense protests if their demands for reconstruction were not met. The situation continues to develop as both sides maintain their positions on the matter.
