Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar: Kannadkars stage dramatic protest in Salim Ali Lake over supply officer's inaction

In an act of protest against the Tehsil Supply Officer in Kannad, a group of agitators, including two women, decided to stage a demonstration at Salim Ali Lake near Delhi Gate. Their aim was to draw the attention of revenue officials towards their demands.

The agitation took place on Tuesday, lasting from 1 pm to 1.30 pm. Upon noticing the protest, the administration promptly responded and assured the agitators that necessary action would be taken. As a result, the protest came to an end. The interaction between the protesters and the officials was witnessed by numerous citizens during the afternoon, adding a dramatic element to the situation.

Makaranpur Akhil Bhartiya Kisan Sabha's Manisha Dandekar; Sheela Nagare, Uday Gawli, Usman Shah, Sadiq Syed and Yuvaraj Bagul staged the demonstration. They threatened of taking ‘Jal Samadhi' in the lake water. Acting upon the information, the local police reached the spot. The agitators were shouting slogans by standing in the knee-deep water of the lake.

The officers and police appealed to the demonstrators to exit the water in order to prevent any unfortunate incidents, citing the presence of snakes and the thick sediment in the lake. However, instead of responding positively to the request, the protesters began gradually moving further into the lake.

The agitators explained that there is a lack of authorized fair price shops in Kannad Tehsil, resulting in beneficiaries being unable to access essential food grains and other necessities. Despite filing multiple complaints with District Supply Officer Varsharani Bhosle, no action was taken against the Kannad supply officer. Therefore, they demanded a thorough investigation into the matter and requested for the concerned officer to be transferred.

Meanwhile, Janardhan Vidhate, the resident deputy collector, along with Vijay Chavan, an additional tehsildar, and Varsharani Bhosale, the DSO, arrived at the lake.

During the course of the discussion, the officers provided reassurances regarding their commitment to taking appropriate action against the Kannad officer. As a result of this assurance, the agitation was subsequently called off. In the meantime, the City Chowk police station officially filed a complaint against the protesters, initiating legal proceedings.