Villagers protest, block road over exclusion from Bangla Awas Yojana

Cooch Behar: Villagers from Sutkawari Gram Panchayat staged a protest on Friday by blocking the state road between Cooch Behar and Mathabhanga at Suktabari market. The blockade, lasting around four hours, caused heavy traffic congestion, inconveniencing local commuters.

The protest was triggered by the exclusion of several villagers from the Bangla Awas Yojana housing scheme. In support of the protest, a Panchayat member and a Panchayat Committee member from Sutkawari Gram Panchayat submitted resignation letters to the District Trinamool Congress president.

Cooch Behar’s Additional District Magistrate, Soumen Dutta, along with Zilla Parishad Sahakari Sabhadhipati, Abdul Jalil Ahmed and other officials, arrived at the site. A meeting was held between the officials, protesters and local Panchayat members, where the administration assured the residents their concerns would be addressed. Following this, the blockade was lifted.

Amina Bawa and Majibul Haque, two protest leaders, explained that their homes were destroyed by a storm three years ago, but despite their eligibility, they were not included in the housing list. “Despite the destruction of our homes, people here have not received houses. We were not included in the housing scheme and we had no choice but to protest,” said Amina Bawa.

Local Trinamool Congress Zonal President and Panchayat member, Sirajul Haq, added: “The Gram Panchayat had initially submitted the names of 750 people for the housing scheme. However, only 440 names appeared in the final list. The storm devastated many homes and the district leadership is at fault. We have resigned to stand with the people. If the administration fails to fulfill their assurances, we will resume the protest.”

District Trinamool Congress president, Abhijit De Bhowmik, commented on the situation, saying: “There was some miscommunication and in their frustration, some individuals talked about resignations. These are dedicated party workers and the administration is actively looking into the matter. We are confident that everyone will eventually receive a house.”