VALPOI: The members of Sattari Bhumiputra Sanghatana led a morcha to the office of the deputy collector and the Forest Department Office, at Valpoi on Tuesday demanding land ownership.
Around 400 people from the taluka attended the morcha.
The members of Bhumiputra warned that if the government failed to provide them ownership rights over the land, they would continue their agitation.
Initially, the Valpoi police blocked the morcha, but later allowed the same when the organizers produced permission from the collector for the agitation.
“We had already taken the permission for the rally and morcha from the collector. But when we started the rally, the Valpoi police had tried to stop our rally and morcha. Though we produced the permission letter, still the police were not ready to allow us to take out the morcha. And finally they have allowed us to hold the rally and morha at Valpoi town,” an organizer said.
“The Valpoi MLA had called up the Valpoi police and told them that not allow us to hold the rally. This is too much now. He cannot suppress our voice. We will continue our fight. We want our land ownership rights,” Bhumiputra President Ranjitsing Rane said.
“We demand land ownership rights. If the government fails to provide the land ownership rights, then, we will continue of our agitation,” Bhumiputra member Harichandra Gawas said.
According to the sources, later in the evening, the furious protesters went to Kumthol-Karanzol village and set ablaze the check post erected at the Mahadai Wildlife Sanctuary. They even rooted out the poles erected to demarcate the area and damaged the gate put up by the forest department.
The Valpoi Police said that a complaint has been lodged by the forest department against unknown person over the incident and further investigation is on.
