Women of Ward 30’s Harijan Basti Demonstrate at Civic Office
Key Points:
- Adityapur women protest against fine despite no water supply
- Residents say past government promised connections but failed
- Civic body assures pipeline connection after Chhath festival
SERAIKELA – Women from Harijan Basti in Ward 30 of Adityapur Municipal Corporation staged a protest on Tuesday at the civic office after receiving penalty notices for water usage despite not having official connections.
The protesters alleged that the previous government under Raghubar Das had promised to provide water connections to their locality. However, they claimed that the commitment remains unfulfilled even after several years. Some families reportedly managed water by connecting hoses from nearby households that did receive supply.
According to the residents, the corporation recently declared these makeshift connections illegal and imposed fines on the users. The residents, mostly belonging to Harijan and tribal communities from low-income backgrounds, expressed strong resentment, saying they were being punished for the administration’s negligence.
They made it clear that they would not pay any penalty until the corporation provides proper water connections. “We are ready to pay once we get legal connections, but not before that,” one protester said.
Meanwhile, municipal officials assured the agitated crowd that water connections would be provided to the area soon after the Chhath festival. The assurance, however, did not fully pacify the residents, who said they would continue their agitation if the promise is not fulfilled.
