Summary:
Nashik, Dec 2 (PTI) Some villages in north Maharashtra"s Nashik district have demanded that they should be included in Gujarat because they presently face apathy and lack of development, a local leader of the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) claimed on Friday.
The demand follows a recent row over Karnataka Chief Minister"s claim that villages in Jat tehsil in southern Maharashtra once wanted to merge with his state.
"Even after 75 years of Independence, many villages and Padas (hamlets) in Surgana taluka of Nashik do not have basic amenities.
If you cannot develop these villages, merge them with Gujarat," NCP"s Surgana taluka chief Chintaman Gavit said.
He presented a memorandum to this effect to tehsildar Sachin Mulik on November 30, he told PTI.
“This does not have anything to do with any political party.
Residents of Subhash Nagar, Dolare, Alangun and Kathipada villages have come together for this demand and there are many others.
Gujarat"s Dharampur taluka is 15 km away and Wasda is 10 km away.
We frequently go there and we are seeing the difference in development for years now," he said.
He also received phone calls from people in Dhadgaon and Navapur in Nandurbar district who endorsed the demand of inclusion in Gujarat, Gavit claimed.
Border areas of Nashik and Nandurbar districts are predominantly tribal.
"We have convened a meeting at Pangarne village on December 4 where the next course of action will be decided," Gavit said.
In border areas of Gujarat, there are good roads, reliable electricity supply and health, water and transport facilities, he claimed.
"On Maharashtra side there are no good roads, no 24x7 electricity and people face water scarcity every year.
There are no irrigation projects.