10 Pithoragarh villages seek merger with Bageshwar over access to services, protest from Feb 15

Pithoragarh: Residents of 10 villages in Gangolihat block of Pithoragarh district have demanded that their villages be merged with neighbouring Bageshwar district, citing easier access to essential services. At a meeting of the Bankot Sangharsh Samiti on Saturday, villagers decided to launch the movement on Feb 15."A relay fast will be organised, with five participants from each village observing a fast daily from 9 am to 4 pm. We will wait for the govt's response and then decide our next course of action," said Shivraj Singh Bankoti, president of the committee.The villages -- Bankot, Jamtola, Bhatti Goan, Sirmoli, Batgari, Kakadpani, Dhari, Dhumalakot, Seema and Dhanolasera -- border Bageshwar district and have a combined population of over 10,000. Residents said they depend largely on Bageshwar for essential services such as markets, schools, colleges and healthcare.While Bageshwar district headquarters is just 30 km away, Pithoragarh district headquarters lies 140 to 170 km from these villages. "When facilities are available just 30 km away, why should we travel five to six times the distance?" asked Rohit Bankori, head of Bankot villageDinesh Kumar, a resident, added, "Even routine administrative work requires a two-day journey to Pithoragarh, involving significant expense."Bageshwar district was created in 1997 and since then the villages have repeatedly sought merger with it. Rajkumar, a zila panchayat member from Bankot, said, "Memorandums had been submitted to three chief ministers -- BC Khanduri in 2008, Harish Rawat in 2013 and Pushkar Singh Dhami in 2024 -- but no action was taken. Frustrated, the villagers even boycotted the 2024 Lok Sabha elections."