On Tuesday, hundreds of men and women staged a protest within the Collectorate premises in Jaunpur’s Pariyawa village, opposing the halting of work on an interlocking road project being constructed using the Village Fund. The protesters chanted slogans demanding, “DM Sir, give us justice,” and submitted a memorandum to City Magistrate Indra Nandan Singh.
Village Head S.P. Manav alleged that the construction of the interlocking road had been initiated using the Village Fund. He claimed that certain opposing parties forcibly obstructed the work, thereby disrupting the commute of approximately 150 Dalit families residing in the village.
The Village Head stated that this pathway is nearly 100 years old. Between 2010 and 2015—during the tenure of former Village Head Prabhavati Devi—a 600-meter *kharanja* (stone-paved road) was constructed at this site. Currently, this *kharanja* has fallen into a completely dilapidated state and is in urgent need of reconstruction.
On Monday, the incumbent Village Head commenced the work of constructing the interlocking road using the Village Fund. However, certain opposing parties and neighboring landowners prevented the work from proceeding. At the site, the width of the existing *kharanja* was reported to be 9 feet. Upon receiving information, a police team—contacted via the ‘112’ emergency helpline—arrived at the scene, but the construction work was still not allowed to move forward.
The following day, Tuesday, a team from the Revenue Department along with police personnel reached the site. The team assessed the width of the previously constructed *kharanja* and issued directives to continue the construction work. Despite this, the opposing parties allegedly resorted to physical aggression and once again brought the work to a halt.
The Village Head and the affected Dalit families maintain that this is their sole route for commuting, and it is being forcibly blocked. They have demanded that legal action be initiated against the opposing parties to ensure the unhindered movement of the 150 Dalit families, thereby allowing the road construction project to be completed.
Ankit Srivastava | Jaunpur
Courtesy: Hindi News