Rabindranath Biswas
Billiground, Dec. 05: A protest rally was held by the locals of Billiground to oppose the proposed location of a petrol pump.
According to information, responding to the clarion call sounded by the Billiground Citizen Forum, a large number of people gathered in front of the Vegetable Market, Harinagar at around 07:00 am to register their protest against setting up of a petrol pump at Basantipur instead of Harinagar or Swadeshnagar.
The protesters demanded that the Administration clear the paperwork for the selected land either at Hari Nagar or Swadesh Nagar within an hour, threatening to block the NH-4 road if their demands were not met. However, when the protestors saw that their voice was not being heard, they began blocking the road in front of the Vegetable Market in Billiground.
Within no time a large number of protesters hailing from Swadesh Nagar and Shivapuram Gram Panchayats gathered in front of Billiground vegetable market and raised various slogans and demanded that the proposed petrol pump is set up preferably at Hari Nagar or Swadesh Nagar.
The protestors’ demand behind setting up of the petrol pump at Hari Nagar or Swadesh Nagar is that, in a medical emergency or any fire incident, the petrol pump would cater to the need if set up at Harinagar as these emergency service providing establishments are close to Harinagar, they said.
However, owing to some political leverage of a high profile political leader, the proposed petrol pump was being reportedly planned to be set up at Basantipur instead of a more preferable site in Harinagar or Swadeshnagar, the protestors said. However, the protestors allowed medical and emergency vehicles to pass through and saw that these services were not disrupted at any cost.
On the other hand, the irked protestors began becoming restless and in the process the protest continued to gather momentum. In the meantime, the Assistant Commissioner (HQ), Mayabunder, arrived on the scene at around 01:00 pm and first tried to pacify the irate protestors and he gave them a patient hearing and then interacted with the Citizen Forum members.
The SDM reportedly said that he would form a new committee to select a suitable location for the petrol pump and it would take five days to complete the task. However, in the meantime, a demarcation team would arrive the next day to demarcate the land and provide a map with the survey number.
The Citizen Forum, after being assured that their demands/concerns would be reportedly addressed by the AC, chose to withdraw their protest at 02:30 pm. However, the Billiground Citizen Forum hinted at the necessity of community involvement especially in crucial decision-making processes like setting up of a petrol pump when a great public interest is attached with it, they said.
