Row erupts over BDO office relocation

Nagrota Surian residents oppose govt notification for shifting it to Jawali

Rajiv Mahajan

Nurpur, Updated At : 07:55 AM Nov 04, 2024 IST

Initially, the BDO office was located at Mangwal but was relocated to Nagrota Surian in 1974, following the establishment of the Pong Dam reservoir.

A significant wave of resentment is growing among residents of Nagrota Surian and nearby gram panchayats in the Jawali subdivision of Kangra district over the recent decision to shift the Block Development Officer (BDO) office from Nagrota Surian to Jawali.

The notification, issued on October 29 by the state’s Rural Development and Panchayati Raj department, cites reorganisation of development block headquarters as the reason for the move. However, both supporters of the ruling Congress and the opposition BJP have been vocal in their protests against this decision, which was reportedly based on a recommendation by local MLA and Agriculture and Animal Husbandry Minister Chander Kumar.

Jawali constituency comprises three major regions: Jawali, Nagrota Surian and Kotla. Initially, the BDO office was located at Mangwal but was relocated to Nagrota Surian in 1974, following the establishment of the Pong Dam reservoir. Local BJP leader and former Forest Minister Harbans Singh Rana highlighted that when he served as an MLA in 1977, Nagrota Surian was officially designated as the BDO headquarters. He criticised the current Congress-led government for erasing this 47-year-old decision.

Senior Congress leaders and members of the Jawali Block Congress Committee have appealed to Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu to reconsider the decision, warning that the move may generate strong local opposition. Instead of shifting the BDO office, many local leaders, including Ram Swaroop (former president of Vantungali gram panchayat), Vijay Kumar (Up Pradhan of Bassa panchayat), and Praveen Kumar (Spail panchayat pradhan), have suggested that a new office should be opened in Jawali, leaving the existing BDO office in Nagrota Surian untouched.

Sanjay Guleria, a BJP leader and candidate from the Jawali constituency, expressed sharp criticism, recalling that the former Jairam Thakur government had previously approved a new development block headquarters at Jawali, a decision that was swiftly reversed by the current Congress government in December 2022. He accused the Congress government of systematically canceling development projects initiated by the previous BJP administration.

Traders and local representatives from Nagrota Surian have also voiced their discontent, threatening to initiate a protest if the notification is not withdrawn. The situation remains tense as local stakeholders continue to press for the reversal of this contentious decision.