Ex-Odisha MP Jayaram Pangi says he will quit BJP, focus on UT demand for Koraput

Jayaram Pangi, who announced his plan to exit the BJP, said he wanted to focus on his demand for Union territory status for undivided Koraput district and parts of Andhra Pradesh and Chhattisgarh

Published on: Oct 6, 2021, 01:36:15 IST

By Debabrata Mohanty

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BHUBANESWAR: Former Koraput lawmaker Jayaram Pangi on Tuesday announced his decision to quit the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and start a campaign to seek Union Territory status for undivided Koraput district and parts of Andhra Pradesh and Chhattisgarh.

Former Koraput Lok Sabha member Jayaram Pangi joined the BJP in May 2017 after his suspension by the BJD. (Twitter/DharmendraPradhab)

Pangi, once considered a tribal heavyweight who defeated Congress veteran and nine-time MP Giridhar Gamang in the 2009 Lok Sabha election on a Biju Janata Dal (BJD) ticket, hopped across to the BJP in May 2017. He contested the 2019 Lok Sabha election from tribal-dominated Koraput seat on a BJP ticket, lost to Congress’ Saptagiri Ulaka and subsequently found himself sidelined by the party.

The four-time Pottangi legislator said he was quitting the BJP because he wants to do something for his native place and the people of the undivided Koraput district.

“I have been doing party politics for the last 44 years but in the dusk of life, I want to dedicate my time towards the greater development of undivided Koraput which I have been unable to do so far,” the 66-year-old politician said.

“The only way to resolve the issues is to accord Union Territory status to these areas for which I have formed the Dandakaranya Parbatmala Vikash Parishad. As it is very difficult for a person to shoulder two major responsibilities at a time, I have decided to quit the BJP,” Pangi said.

Koraput district was part of the Dandakaranya settlement project that began in September 1958 to rehabilitate East Bengali migrants who could not be accommodated in West Bengal. Spread over an area of 80,000 square miles, the aim of project was not just to rehabilitate the migrants but also develop infrastructure for the resident tribals through construction of all-weather roads and railways, irrigation, agriculture and establishment of industries based on mineral and forest resources of the area.

The first phase of the project was confined to the districts of Bastar in Chhattisgarh, undivided Koraput and Kalahandi districts of Odisha.

“Tribals of the undivided Koraput district living near the border areas of Andhra Pradesh and Chhattisgarh are yet to see any development. Among other issues, these villages do not have road linkages. Though I have raised their problems with the state government several times, I am told that I am doing it since I am a member of an opposition party. If this is the case, why should I remain in politics?” Pangi said.

He, however, said he will seek the support of all parties to raise the demand for UT status to the Dandakaranya Parbatmala.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Debabrata Mohanty
Debabrata Mohanty is a senior assistant editor of Hindustan Times who works as state correspondent from Odisha covering the state's politics, governance, public policy, natural disasters, environment and its society for close to three decades. With his long years of reporting from the state capital of Bhubaneswar, Mohanty has been known as one of the most experienced and credible journalists covering Odisha for the national English dailies. His reporting combines on-ground detail with deep institutional knowledge detailing the state's changing politics, governance issues, administrative reforms and the functioning of its public institutions. He has regularly reported on issues ranging from legislative developments and public policy implementation. Politics is his core areas of expertise as he closely tracks Odisha's political landscape, including the rise and transformation of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), the Biju Janata Dal (BJD), the two principal political parties in Odisha. His long association with the state's political establishment enables him to write on contemporary developments in a larger political context. Mohanty takes a deep interest in writing human interest stories, environmental issues and documenting the impact of cyclones, floods, heatwaves, and other climate-related events in one of the most disaster-prone states. His coverage extends to public health, governance reforms and stories on accountability of government institutions. Before joining Hindustan Times, Mohanty worked with The Indian Express, Mail Today, and The Telegraph, where he covered at least six general elections and as many assembly elections. In 2007, he was selected for the prestigious Chevening Young Indian Print Journalist Programme at the University of Lincoln, United Kingdom, where he received advanced training in print journalism. In 2009 he won the Press Institute of India-International Committee of Red Cross award on conflict reporting for his on-ground reportage of 2008 Kandhamal riots.Read More

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