Public Disappointment Over Unannounced New Ikdil Block, Struggle Intensifies

Public Disappointment Over Unannounced New Ikdil Block

Etawah, Uttar Pradesh | July 26, 2026 - Local residents in Uttar Pradesh's Etawah district are experiencing profound disappointment following the Chief Minister's visit, which failed to yield an announcement for the new development block in Ikdil. A population of 2.5 lakh, slated to be included in the block, has been advocating for this demand for the past decade.

The public is expressing anger due to the government's lack of attention to this long-standing issue. Mission Ikdil Block Convener and social worker Deepak Raj stated that the demand for a new development block has been ongoing since 2012. All necessary district-level proceedings have been completed, and the proposal has been sent multiple times.

Although the Uttar Pradesh government accepted the proposal and allocated land for building construction, it is still deferring this crucial announcement. Raj expressed concern that the local MLA, who won elections twice from this constituency, had promised the construction of a new development block during the election campaign but failed to satisfy the public. Similarly, former MP Ramshankar Katheria also made the same promise during the 2024 Lok Sabha elections but was unable to fulfill it, leading to a sense of being repeatedly deceived by false promises.

Public Outrage and Preparations for Protest

Joint Convener Dr. Sushil Samrat highlighted the irony of the Chief Minister allocating budgets worth crores for various schemes in the district, yet claiming a lack of funds for the new development block, which requires a budget of only 5 crore. He described this as a grave injustice to the 2.5 lakh people of the region and warned that the public would remember this action of the BJP government in the upcoming assembly elections, potentially leading to repercussions for the party.

Dr. Samrat has been in contact with several village heads (Pradhans), informing them about the Chief Minister's disappointing decision. The Pradhans have also expressed deep sorrow, terming the situation as step-motherly treatment. They, along with the public of the region, have assured that the struggle will now intensify, as the residents are greatly suffering and inconvenienced by the excessive distance to existing development block headquarters.

They have urged the Uttar Pradesh government to understand their plight and make a swift announcement for the new development block in Ikdil.