Maharashtra’s 55 villages wish to join Gujarat to taste ‘development’

Navsari (Gujarat): Fifty-five villages under Surgana taluka, which currently falls in Nashik district of Maharashtra, wish to be merged with Gujarat, as they want to ‘taste development’, which has not reached them even after 75 years of Independence.

A memorandum submitted to Vansda deputy collector by Surgana taluka Sangharsh Samiti is being forwarded to the state government.

Navsari district collector Amit Yadav told IANS on Monday, “Vansda deputy collector had informed me that a delegation from Suragana taluka visited him and submitted a memorandum. They wish to merge their villages with Gujarat, the said memorandum is being forwarded to the state government.”

Surgana taluka’s Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) unit president Chintaman Gavit had led the delegation and submitted a memorandum to the Vansda deputy collector, M S Vasava two weeks ago. Along with the memorandum, he also submitted a resolution passed by 55 villages requesting a merger with Gujarat.

He alleged that development has reached the villages of Gujarat while in Surgana taluka and its villages, which are adjoined to the Gujarat border, but on the Maharashtra side, there is no development.

Another villager Hemant Vaghere stated, “There may be district hospitals, bus terminus, schools and colleges at the district level, but at the taluka headquarters government hospital does not have specialised doctors, no colleges. Villagers of 55 villages have to travel in private vehicles.”

Both of them claimed that they have social connection with villagers on the Gujarat side, they marry their daughters to males in Gujarat and vice versa. So if the 55 villages of Surgana taluka are merged with Gujarat, it will be socially good and the villages will soon see development.

The deputy collector told the media that if any village or taluka wishes to get merged with the neighbouring state, both states’ assemblies will have to pass a resolution accordingly. Then only it is possible.